A Flame in My Heart
by XRaindropsX
Summary: She was involved in a tragic run in with Scar, and he left a few scars in her heart. Once a Coronel, now demoted to Mustang's secretary, can she regain the respect she once had? Can Mustang break through to her? MustangXOC REVISED and EDITED!
1. The Accident

Okay, here is another story I have been toying with. Let me know if you think I should continue. I want at least 6 review (please more than that) so that I know I have a lot of readers that like it so that I will continue. If you want something changed. Message me or tell me in a review. 

A Flame in My Heart (FMA Story)

**Chapter 1 The Accident**

"Lara! Now!" my co-partner Jane cried. The guy stopped short as I jumped in front of him.

Clapping my hands together, I drew the moisture out of the air and the surroundings and engulfed him with water up to his head. Then, I froze it with a snap of my fingers.

"Ok, pal. You're coming with us," Damion, my superior, walked over to him, gun in hand. I was ready to go home, and I was hoping we could do this in one shot. We had been chasing after this guy for months.

"Not quite," the guy burst free. He had used alchemy somehow to explode the ice. No one was ever able to break free from my iron hard ice. There was something about that arm, something monstrous. It was covered in strange tattoos that I had never seen before.

We took off after him. This guy was dangerous. If he caught one of us, we were done. His arm would blow our brains out. He had killed countless state alchemists, and I didn't think he'd stop now. I had seen the destruction of his arm first hand when we first learned of him, it was gruesome.

He had disappeared down a street. We stopped and looked around for anything that was out of place. We straining to hear him running, or even breathing, listening for anything that would give away his position. No one could hear anything accept the wind howling against the deserted town.

The next thing I knew, he had both Jane and Damion in his arm. I rolled to the side, grabbed the gun from my holster, dropped to one knee for better positioning, and pointed the gun at him in one swift motion.

"Shoot, and both of them here are dead," he threatened, tightening his grip on them with his destructive right arm.

"Shoot him!" Jane cried against his hold.

"You are our best shooter. Take him out!" Damion demanded. Neither one showed any fear on their faces. They were placing their complete trust in me.

I shook my head. "I can't!" I sobbed. I couldn't risk losing them. I didn't want to take the chance. They were the closest thing I had to a family, and I didn't want to risk hitting either one of them.

"I'm not requesting this Lara. I'm demanding it!" Damion shouted angrily. When I hesitated, he yelled, "DO IT!" His voice pierced the night air, startling me. He never used his angry voice with me.

I shook my head again. "No." I couldn't do it. There was no way they could bring me to do it. Not when both of their lives were on the line.

"It's an order!"

"Scar, please release them," I begged. It was so unlike my nature to depend on someone else, and I never have. That is, until now. I was depending on Scar to let them go, and he wasn't complying.

"Lara, I order you to shoot him now!" Damion yelled again. Jane kept nodding her head, telling me it would be okay. It was funny how she was soothing me, when it should be the other way around considering our predicament. 

Scar moved his arm. Thinking he was going to kill both Jane and Damion, I shot. It hit him in the shoulder, but not before he had used his arm to kill both Jane and Damion. The blast of blood hardly made a noise, yet I would forever hear that horrendous sound of ripping through flesh.

He took off running towards me as I shot at him numerous times. I dropped to my knees in defeat. He grabbed my wrist and I felt a sharp pain before he was running away from me and from the voices behind us.

I was vaguely aware of the military coming to my rescue. Sobbing, I crawled over to Jane and Damion holding my bleeding arm. I was starting to feel dizzy, and before I knew it, I was laying on the ground in a pool of blood, unaware if it was my own or Jane's and Damion's.

When I came to, I was lying in a hospital bed. My superior was talking in a corner of the room to a doctor in hushed voices. They were talking about me, I could tell. At first, I was confused; I couldn't remember anything.

I cleared my throat to get their attention. They both looked up quickly, as if I had caught them doing something bad.

"Lara, you're awake, good," said furor Conoly. "How do you feel?"

"Numb. But, I don't want to be here. I feel fine enough to leave. When will I be discharged?" I replied. I hated hospitals ever since I was little. They freaked me out. I associated the smell of clean hospital air to death.

"Just as soon as you're ready," he told me.

"Which should be later on today," the doctor added, "but I will need to run some tests to be sure."

"Keep me posted. Tomorrow, I want to see you in my office at 9:00," the furor said before walking out of the room.

My doctor came to my side. "Your arm was damaged beyond repair from the fight. We brought in the best automobilists in the country to make an authentic arm for you. Nice, isn't it?"

I lifted my right arm and looked it over. "You can't even tell it's a fake. The skin matches my flesh."

It really was quite remarkable. No one would be able to tell I had lost an arm. Whoever did it was very skilled. I was impressed.

Then, reality hit me. "Jane and Damion… Did they… I mean…" I couldn't finish my sentence. I was afraid to hear the answer, but I was even more afraid that he wouldn't answer. 

"I'm sorry, but they weren't as lucky as you."

The next day, I arrived in the furor's office on time. He gestured to a chair opposite his desk. "Sit." I did as I was told.

I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew I was in deep trouble and that I wasn't going to like what I was about to hear. Would I be demoted? Fine with me, I figured it would be my punishment for costing my team their lives. Time off? Good, I needed it.

"I know this is a difficult time for you, but you have to move on- for Jane and Damion's sake. It's what they would have wanted. They wouldn't have wanted you moping around," he started in right away. No small talk. There never was with him. 

"Yes, sir," I nodded. I kept my head down and pretended to find something interesting on the floor. There had to be more. He wouldn't just call me in to tell me to buck up and move on.

"Now, the other day's performance is unacceptable. You should have waited for back-up. Because of your recklessness, Scar got away," his face was filled with pent up anger.

"We almost had him," I replied quietly. I didn't have an excuse, and it was the only thing that came to my head.

"Almost isn't good enough. We can't risk something like that happening again. I'm sorry, but we are discharging you."

"What? You can't do that to me!" I shouted standing up. Of all the scenarios running through my head, that was not one of them.

"I just did. The papers have already been signed. You have been transferred to Central and their branch of military. You no longer work for this military branch, and you never will."

I took a step forward. "For one mistake?"

"For costing your associates their lives. I'd say that's pretty big, even for one mistake."

I shut my mouth. I needed to accept this. It was my fault Jane and Damion were gone. Then said, "What is my new position?"

"I believe you are a secretary for a Coronal Mustang." The Furor seemed to find humor in this and smiled, more like sneered.

"A secretary?" I cried in disbelief. 

"You're lucky you got that. After your little stunt, no one wanted you. I had to call some buddies in high places to get you that job. You screwed up big time. Besides, you can always work your way back up."

"Screw you!" I reached over and punched him in the face with my right arm. I didn't feel any pain; I didn't feel anything.

With that, I stormed out of the office. Anger boiled up inside me like hot water. I probably shouldn't have punched him, but it sure felt good.

I packed my things and headed for the train station, hoping to hop a train to Central as soon as possible. I had no choice in the matter, so I wasn't going to sit around and mope about it. 

I would have to work my way back up. I would show up the furor and show him what he's missing. I would show him what a big mistake he made in firing me.

I hopped onto a train and sat in a car that was void of anyone. 

Coronal Mustang, you better watch out. I will upstage you. No matter how long it takes.

I hope you liked it. Please review! Remember, At least 6 reviews if you want me to update. The more reviews, the faster I'll update. Thanks!


	2. East City

Ok, so I went through and rewrote this story. I didn't like how it was written, and I changed a lot of things. The first few chapters will resemble the ones I already had, but I changed a lot of parts to them. I thought that I was moving too fast in the direction I wanted the story to go. The first chapter is the only one that has stayed the same.

So, I hope you enjoy this a lot better than the first time through. Please review to let me know what you think and I will try to update as fast as I can! The more reviews, the faster this story will be updated, and I mean it this time, as I have a lot of it already typed out, so all I'll have to do is clicky a button, and tadda! Your next chapter!

Ok enough about me! Just enjoy the story, and don't forget to let me know what you liked, hated, think I need to improve on!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, though I do own Lara!**

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**Chapter 2 East City**

I arrived in East City with no idea as to when I was to report in for work, so I ended up having to call the office to ask- so embarrassing. I stopped at a diner and used the bathroom. I changed into my work attire- a white blouse and a navy blue skirt that stopped a few inches above the knees- and headed over to Mustang's office with determination in my veins and a heavy heart.

I asked the receptionist at the front desk the directions to his office and headed up the stairs. Down the hallway, I came to the door I needed. Rotating my auto mail arm, I hoped no one would ask about my past experiences back home. My past was not something I wanted to discuss. Let's just say my childhood wasn't blissful and leave it at that.

Knocking, I opened the door. A blonde woman greeted me. "You must be Miss Bradford. We've been expecting you. I'm Lieutenant Hawkeye," she extended her hand towards me. She seemed nice enough, but if there was one thing I had learned over the years, it was that looks were deceiving.

I shook her hand eagerly, "Call me Lara, Lieutenant Hawkeye." I saluted her when she released my hand.

"Lara, I'm very pleased to have you on the team. I know you will make a great asset. You came highly recommended. It seems you were quite the decorated officer before…" she didn't know how to phrase my being fired for my little incident, so she changed the subject. "This is your office," she indicated to the small room. "And, through that door is Colonel Mustang's office. Have you done secretarial work before?"

"Yes, I have," I nodded, glad to have dropped the previous subject; I didn't want to have to explain myself to everyone, though I was prepared to have to tell Mustang. "Isn't that where everyone starts out?"

She laughed lightly, nervously. "Great, then we won't have to train you." She headed for the door. "Mustang wishes to meet with you to get the rules and guidelines out of the way. He might have some questions for you as well. Best not to keep him waiting." She shut the door quietly behind her.

I went and set my bag behind my large mahogany desk, upon which sat an old type writer. Opening a drawer, I threw my crap inside. I needed to get a place to stay as soon as possible. I straightened my skirt and knocked on Mustang's door.

"Come in," came a deep baritone voice.

Taking a deep breath, I entered. I could do this. I would keep my temper in check, and I would not blame Mustang for my being here. It was my fault that I had been demoted, not his. I got myself in this mess, so I had to come out with a cool head.

"Ah, you must be Miss Bradford, my new secretary," he said. He was standing, looking out the window when I entered. He turned and gave me a once over. I felt a little unsettled by his scrutinizing glance.

"Lara," I nodded.

He came over to me and shook my hand. "Lara. I'm please to meet you. I take it you know what needs to be done."

"Yes." I nodded.

"Good. So that's all out of the way," he walked around his desk and took a seat, motioning for me to sit in the seat opposite him. I did.

He grabbed a file. "According to your file, you were a colonel before moving here?" he asked as he looked it over.

"That is correct."

"Are you hoping to move yourself back up?"

"Yes. Eventually." I was glad he hadn't asked me to be specific on what had happened in my demotion.

He nodded. "It doesn't say much about your history prior to you being a colonel. Tell me about it."

I frowned. "Well, there isn't much to tell. My father got me the job as a secretary for the state, and I got promoted until I was a colonel."

He went on to ask me various other questions pertaining to the job, and I answered to the best of my ability.

"When do you want to start?" he asked when he was done asking questions.

"Right now."

"Good. You can start by filing some papers for me," he said, handing me a stack of papers from his desk.

"I'm on it." I nodded again. I felt like a bobble head the way I was always nodding to everyone's questions.

I was about to walk over to his filing cabinet and start, but he continued, "Oh, and I love the uniform. How did you know that mini skirts were mandatory?" He smiled pervertedly.

I could have groaned out loud. Ugh, not another guy that was only interested in my looks. It made me sick that that was all guys looked for. I had other good assets other than my body. Why couldn't guys look beyond the exterior?

I forced a smile and headed for the filing cabinet and placed the folders in the correct files.

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***Mustang's POV***

Boy was she hot! I had to check to make sure my mouth had stayed closed when she walked into the room. Her gorgeous blonde almost silver hair bounced on her shoulders, and her ocean blue eyes lit up the room.

I watched her long, smooth, sexy legs as she walked towards the filing cabinet. Her butt was just the right size, and her body was curved in all the right places. Her legs were toned and muscular, as were both her arms. Too bad I don't date anyone from the office.

Wild, uncontrollable fantasizes raced through my head. I tried to focus on a report that was due rather soon. It was about Ed and his missions. That little kid, I shook my head, what pieces of information would he bring back? Shuffling through a stack of papers, I looked for the daily paper. I had a five hours till my papers were due. I had a little time to myself yet.

"So," I started, turning the page and saw the real estate section. "Have you made any lodgings?"

"Nope. All of my stuff's in the other room. I don't have very much. I used to move around a lot, so I didn't keep a lot of personal things. I'm going to go house shopping after work or this weekend," she replied as she closed the filing cabinet.

I noticed then that her hands weren't bare, blue gloves on her hands. She caught me staring at them and said, "It's not a problem if I wear them, is it?"

"Why do you wear them?" I asked, curious. No it wasn't a big deal since I myself wear gloves.

"Well, why do you wear yours?" she retorted.

I stopped short, folding the paper and throwing it on my desk. She had no right to know why. She could easily tell my enemies, whether on purpose or accident, and I didn't need them knowing how I could emit flames. It gave them the upper hand.

She must have read my mind. "You have your reasons, and I have mine. Now, what else can I do for you?"

"Get me some coffee," I ordered, a little gruffer than I had intended. She could definitely hold her own.

I plopped down in my seat as she went to make me my coffee. I rested my chin in the palm of my hand and pretended to study the report laid out in front of me among the other papers I chose to ignore.

She was a feisty one, and she wasn't afraid to mouth back. She seemed like a person with quick-wits. Though, I thought I sensed a hurting heart behind her façade. She was quick to cover it up to make me second guess myself, but I was sure it was there.

She came back then with the coffee in hand, "Anything else?" she asked with sarcastic sweetness.

"There are some stacks of paper on your desk. Start with that," I told her nodding to her desk.

She nodded and walked out of the room in a smooth, graceful way that only she could pull off. She didn't wear high heels, but flats. She seemed like a tomboy. But, I couldn't help wondering what she had done to get demoted. Her file said she had been a great soldier. Though, the reason of her discharge had been classified. How could a colonel, someone of my rank and caliber go and get themselves into so much trouble that the military wanted demoted you to secretary and booted you out of their office.

"Leave the door open. I'll close it if need be, or I'll yell for you," I told her when she had started closing the doors. "I like to see out my office doors." I liked to know what my subordinates were doing- if they were screwing off.

"Sure thing," She nodded again as she took a seat at her desk and turned on her computer. She looked through the stack of papers. From where I was sitting, I could see her at her desk. Good. I could keep an eye on her- make sure she was doing what she was supposed to.

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***Lara's POV***

That Mustang was not going to get to me. I was better than stooping that low. I shook my head in my frustration. Was he trying to get under my skin with that pervertedness and sly wit of his? Well, I was smart too.

I was e-mailing some things for him to the furor. This was a simple enough job. I sighed as I pushed the send button. It just wasn't my old job. I missed the nonstop action. The adrenaline rush was enticing. I missed being out on the front line.

I dug through my bag and placed a framed photo of Jane and Damion on the corner of my desk. I put my chin in my hand and just stared at the picture.

What would they think of me now? Proud? Upset? Disappointed? Anger? Disgusted? Okay? I sighed again. Were they watching over me? I sure hoped so, because I felt I would need their guidance.

Not that I deserved it. I didn't even ask for it. I deserved to be with them. I deserved to die for them. I deserved to be where they were. I should have been the one that died.

"Staring at that picture isn't going to make that paperwork go away," Mustang said, pulling me out of my thoughts, startling me. "Sorry but you were so lost in thought, you didn't hear me the first time."

"I'm sorry. I was just…well, I was… I mean…" I stammered for an explanation. I wasn't about to give away my biggest weakness.

He held up a hand to stop me. "It doesn't matter to me. You can't leave until the work is done. I'm heading out." He handed me some papers. "These need to be handed in."

I nodded, taking the papers. "See you in the morning," I told him as he put on his coat, heading out. He gave a small wave as he let himself out. I frowned as I looked at what I had left to do. A lot. Shaking my head, I set to work. I wanted to go to bed at a reasonable time tonight. Though, it was far after dark when I finally left.

But, I wasn't going home. I headed to the library. I needed to find some leads on the philosopher's stone. Any little bit helped. I was pretty knowledgeable when it came the stone. Maybe Central's library had more to offer about it than back home had. I snuck inside, as it was locked. I grabbed a few books and began reading through them. Most of it things I had already known. I stumbled upon a book that talked about all the state alchemists. Marcoh seemed very interesting. I wondered how I'd pull off finding him as he had been missing for quite a while now. It claimed he was a deserter. I couldn't ask for that many sick days.

After two hours, I sighed, closing the books and returning them to their proper shelves. I needed to get home and to bed. I'd return tomorrow and check out some of the books so I could do a little leisure reading on my own. I wanted to look up the records to every known sighting or myth of the stone. Maybe I'd grab a book about all the alchemists and people on the higher ups.

Knowledge was my only weapon at the moment. I was no longer in a position of power to be able to pull off anything too outrageous. My main priority was finding Marcoh, though I hadn't the slightest idea as to how to go about doing that.

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***REVIEW***


	3. The Fullmetal Alchemist

Ok, so I went through and rewrote this story. I didn't like how it was written, and I changed a lot of things. The first few chapters will resemble the ones I already had, but I changed a lot of parts to them. I thought that I was moving too fast in the direction I wanted the story to go. The first chapter is the only one that has stayed the same.

So, I hope you enjoy this a lot better than the first time through. Please review to let me know what you think and I will try to update as fast as I can! The more reviews, the faster this story will be updated, and I mean it this time, as I have a lot of it already typed out, so all I'll have to do is clicky a button, and tadda! Your next chapter!

Ok enough about me! Just enjoy the story, and don't forget to let me know what you liked, hated, think I need to improve on!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, though I do own Lara!**

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**Chapter 3 The Fullmetal Alchemist **

***Lara's POV***

The Eastern branch was suddenly moved to Central. Mustang took his brigade and I with him. I was really happy I hadn't found a house yet. So, now I had spent the remainder of the week's nights looking through newspapers for a house in Central, and I had finally found the one I wanted, and I had plans to go look at it sometime soon so I could start moving in. The sooner, the better. I hated living in hotels. It reminded me of when I was a child. My father had been a dog of the military, and we were constantly on the move, and hotels were where we stayed.

When I wasn't busy doing that, I was reading more of the books, getting familiar with Mustang's abilities and many other alchemists that I came in contact with on a regular basis. The Fuhrer was quite the profiled man, almost too perfect for my liking. I'd like to meet the man sometime. In my reading, I found Shou Tucker's work incredibly interesting. I wanted to see his work first hand, but he was dead, and there was nothing I could do about that.

I arrived at the office a week later in the morning bright and early, beating Mustang to the office for a change. He would get there so early, I was starting to wonder if he lived there. I wanted to get a head start on all the files and paperwork. Maybe I could get out early so that I could get to see my house today.

When I entered the staff room, I found Fury trying to convince everyone to adopt a dog he had found. Running up to me, he held up the little black dog. "Lara, would you take him?" he pleaded.

I shook my head, "I'm sorry, Fury, but I don't have time to care for a dog." I loved dogs, but at this moment in time, I just didn't have the time or energy to care for anything; heck, I barely took care of myself. "Hope you can figure something out for the little guy."

I headed into my office and got straight to work. I was faxing some papers when Mustang arrived. "I'm expecting some visitors today- the Elric brothers. Go ahead and let them come right in. I'm going to be keeping the door closed this morning. I have some calls to make, and I need the quiet," he informed me, stopping at my desk just to tell me who was coming, then proceeded to his office closing the doors behind him.

"Yes, sir," I nodded to the closed door. Shaking my head, I returned to the papers I was faxing.

Mustang brought about feelings I wasn't sure about. There was an air of arrogance about him that I didn't quite like, yet he could be sweet and, for lack of a better term, normal around me. One minute he could be smiling pervertedly, and the next, he was Mr. Serious. Was he bipolar?

I catch him staring at me ever so often, and it's unsettling. Is he staring at me because he thinks I'm cute, or because I'm the only woman besides Riza in the whole unit that he came in contact with on a regular basis? Not that he wasn't bad-looking himself. Maybe a 6 on 1 to 10 scale. But, I wasn't looking for a relationship, and he better get that through his thick head fast. I was tired of all the looks and passes he made my way. I knew he was just playing around as he wanted to do anything but the paperwork that piled up on his desk

Sighing, Damien came to mind. Mustang reminded me of Damien in so many ways. They both had the same shaggy black hair and dark eyes. They were the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. Mustang could be funny (when he wasn't cracking sex jokes) and serious when need be. He wasn't perfect, but who in life was? Damien was more serious than Mustang. Damien was funny in a different way; he wasn't as perverted as Mustang was.

Why was I comparing this guy to Damion? That wasn't fair to Roy or to Damion's memory. I had cared deeply for Damion, and losing him was one of the hardest things I had ever been through. Damien and Jane had meant so much to me; I guess I was just looking for things that would remind me of them to keep their memories alive. I was already forgetting things about them, and I found myself staring at their pictures more often.

I was alphabetizing some reports when the name Elric caught my eye. I opened the file, though I knew it was wrong. It was private, and not for just anyone's eyes, but I figured if I wasn't caught, no big deal. I had been able to see those kinds of files once and knew the drill.

A young boy with blonde hair, who looked no older than sixteen, stared up at me from the paper. He seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn't place why. I tapped my foot on the floor, thinking hard, trying to figure out how I would know such a little kid. He was too young for me to have known him back at the other military post.

I read through the reports. He was in search of the philosopher stone like me, but the report didn't include a very in depth background on the kid. It spoke lightly of his brother, but nothing like usual. My investigative mind was intrigued. His file was about as bare as mine, but I had friends in high places. Was Mustang covering for him?

Suddenly the door opened and in strode the boy from the file of which I was reading. A tall guy in armor stood at his side. I got the sense of familiarity when I looked at the kid, but I still wasn't able to place why. I quickly shut the file and stood up, tossing the folder onto my desk in one quick motion.

The boys didn't even seem to notice I was there; they were just going to barge into Mustang's room, but I blocked them. Did the midget think he owned the world? Not on my turf he didn't. This was my office… and Mustang's.

"You must be the Elric brothers," I smiled softly, but emanated command. I soon realized that I wasn't in a position to be in command. These boys were higher ranked than I was at the moment. It was something that rather depressed me; it just reminded me of everything I had lost. Great. Just a great flipping feeling.

"You new here? I don't remember you," the smaller one said giving me the once-over, though I caught his eyes linger a second too long on my chest. Maybe I was just being paranoid. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and let it go.

"Ya, the name's Lara. I'm Mustang's secretary. I just got here about a week ago." I nodded.

"I'm Edward Elric, and this is-"

"The full metal Alchemist?" I asked knowing full well that Ed was the Fullmetal Alchemist. It was almost instinct to tease this kid; it was so easy and he took the bait to readily.

Moping, Ed said a little aggressively, "No, I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist. That's Alphonse."

"Oh, I know. I was just teasing," I laughed. "But, you're a lot shorter than I would have thought." The teasing was almost second nature when I was around him. I thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

Al had to restrain Ed from attacking me as Ed ranted about my comparing him to a small little grasshopper who couldn't see over blades of grass. I only laughed harder. "Relax! I'm just kidding."

Ed calmed down a little and said under his breath, "I didn't find it very funny."

"Don't you remember me?" I asked. I had finally figured out why Ed looked so familiar. It sure had taken long enough.

They exchanged glances and shrugged.

"I used to baby-sit you two when I was younger. Well, it was you two and Winry, I mean."

Ed's and Al's eyes almost popped out. "You're _that _Lara?"

I smiled, "The one and the same."

"You always told us you were going into the military, but you said you were going to be an officer, not a secretary," Ed frowned looking me over again. His eyes lingered a beat too long on my legs. Okay, I don't think I was being paranoid now, but I still let it go, hoping that I wouldn't let my anger get the better of me.

"Ya, well, I was a high ranked officer, just as I said I would be, but I was demoted to secretary after an accident, which I don't want to talk about, so don't ask," I said a little depressed, but the authority in my voice kept them from asking.

"Well, I'm not some little kid anymore. I'm a state alchemist now. Maybe you've heard of me. The Hero of the People," Ed said proudly poking himself in his chest with his thumb.

"Back home, I was the Voice of the People. I helped many and saved lives," I bragged; I wasn't going to let this newbe out do me. It was a curse, the way my competitiveness came out. I wouldn't lose at anything, and if I did- I'll admit- I'm a sore loser.

"I became a state alchemist at twelve."

"Same for me."

"Well, I haven't been demoted for anything." Ed finally said, folding his arms across his chest, smirking. He knew he had me at that.

That did it, I was ready to pummel the kid. My eyes flashed fiery and my nose flared. Pulling back my arm, I was ready to smack the kid as hard as I could. I felt a hand on my shoulder; breaking the trance, I dropped my arm. Mustang stood behind me, a small frown on his face.

"Sorry sir. We were just talking," I tried to explain, searching desperately for something useful to say. The anger still emanated from eyes, that I was sure of. I sure didn't score any brownie points with him over this.

"In my office Ed," Mustang said without saying a word to me before turning and disappearing into his office.

Sighing, I returned to my desk while Al sat in a chair in front of my desk. I gathered the files together again.

"You want to tell me how you ended up as a secretary when you had so much going for you?" he asked breaking the silence, only to fill it again with tension. Why couldn't people just let me be. I had a bubble, and right now, Al was taking one too many steps inside, crowding me.

"I already told you no," I answered as I finished alphabetizing.

"You can talk to me."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, I said with a little anger, "Look, all you need to know is that after my family died, my life hasn't been the same since."

He dropped it and didn't say another word. He just sat quietly while I typed on the computer. "I remember that day well."

I just stared at the computer, my hands frozen over the keyboard. "Me too," I answered softly. We sat in silence for a few minutes.

"So," I ventured to start another conversation. "Why are you wearing armor?"

"If you won't talk to me, why should I talk to you?" he countered. I couldn't read his expression through the armor, so I didn't know if he was angry or not.

"Fair enough," I nodded in understanding. "How's Winry and Pinoco doing?" I asked.

"Good. Winry comes here to see us sometimes. Maybe you can meet when she does," he replied.

"Give me a buzz when she's here," I shifted positions to make myself more comfortable.

"Tell me one thing, Al. Why are you involved with the military?" I asked. "I had such high hopes for you two. I would never have wished this upon you boys, especially at such a young age."

Al didn't say anything for a long time. "We are looking for the Philosopher's stone."

I was taken aback. Never before had I thought that was the reason behind them being in the military, though it made sense. What for, though? I knew for a fact that there was no one in Al's suit. His soul was attached to that armor. Why? What had they done? "You and Ed performed human alchemy, didn't you?" I asked him.

Al refused to answer.

"Look, I'm not going to preach to you what I think about the matter, but I have to say that I want to help you find it. For, I am searching for it as well. With the more people on one side looking for it, the better."

This seemed to surprise Al. "You are looking for it too?" he asked, the shock was evident in his voice. "Why? For what purpose?"

I shook my head as I answered, "Nothing that concerns you boys. But, I can give you a lead if you agree to join me in its search, and you must agree to share it with me. All I need is one transmutation. You must also agree to call and give me frequent status updates about everything. This all stays between us three of course, I will breathe none of this to Mustang or anyone else for that matter."

He was silent for a moment, thinking it over. "It's a deal," he nodded.

"Marcoh. Search for Marcoh," I threw him a copy of his bio. "He has been missing for quite some time now. He is known as a deserter. He knows a lot about the stone, a lot that could help us achieve our ultimate goal. What do you say?"

Mustang's door opened again, stopping our conversation short. Ed didn't seem as happy as when he went in.

"Come on Al," Ed said as he headed for the door.

"But, brother, where are we going?" Al asked as he stood. He turned to me and nodded, agreeing to what I had told him.

"The library," With that they were gone.

I turned to Mustang, who had walked out after Ed, "What's up with him?"

"Oh, he's just a little edgy since the state alchemist evaluation is coming up," Mustang answered.

"Oh," I pondered. I was a state alchemist, so that meant I was going to be evaluated as well. "When is it?"

"Two weeks from tomorrow."

I nodded. I would have to hit the library as well before heading home, more research material was needed. I needed to get some studying in. I opened up my planner and crossed off this weekend. I wasn't going to get any studying done then. I had to unpack and do some more research. Maybe the weekend after? I could even maybe bring the books to work and study on my down time.

"Plans this weekend?" Mustang asked casually as he leaned against my desk, seeing the big X marks for the weekend..

"Well, I finally found the house I want, so I'm going to start moving in," I answered, closing my planner and throwing back into my bag. I wasn't lying, just leaving out all of the truth. I sighed. The prospect of unpacking all my things was not something I was looking forward too. I had bought so much furniture and I had a feeling it was going to take all weekend to get everything put away. But, if I had help, I could get done sooner and have more time for research.

"Hey, What you doing this weekend?" I asked with a smile.

He frowned. "Why?"

"Well, you're a big, strong man. You could help me move."

"And why would I do that?" he asked, crossing his arms. Standing up straight.

"You'd be doing a good deed for me."

Mustang stared me down. It was clear that he wasn't too keen on the idea of wasting his weekend helping me get settled into my new house.

Hughes waltzed into the room then, a smirk on his face. "So, Roy, it seems that the duel has been approved." Hughes came and leaned against my desk.

I stood up, "What duel is that?" I asked.

Maes looked at me, a smile playing at the corner of his lips, "Ed just challenged him to a duel instead of taking the reevaluation exam. Now, Roy has to fight a little kid."

I burst out laughing alongside Hughes. Mustang glared at us. "The kid has a death sentence," he shook his head as he headed out of the room.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world!" I smiled as I followed close behind. This would let me get a good look at Mustang's abilities and alchemic power.

The match was pretty good, and I learned a lot. Ed was a great fighter as well. He had really grown up since the days in Risenbol. Sighing, I headed home I had a lot of reading to get accomplished today.

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***REVIEW***


	4. Moving In

Ok, so I went through and rewrote this story. I didn't like how it was written, and I changed a lot of things. The first few chapters will resemble the ones I already had, but I changed a lot of parts to them. I thought that I was moving too fast in the direction I wanted the story to go. The first chapter is the only one that has stayed the same.

So, I hope you enjoy this a lot better than the first time through. Please review to let me know what you think and I will try to update as fast as I can! The more reviews, the faster this story will be updated, and I mean it this time, as I have a lot of it already typed out, so all I'll have to do is clicky a button, and tadda! Your next chapter!

Ok enough about me! Just enjoy the story, and don't forget to let me know what you liked, hated, think I need to improve on!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, though I do own Lara!**

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**Chapter 4 Moving In**

***Mustang's POV***

Why had I agreed to help her? What had I been thinking? I had to refuse a date from the lovely Emily at the supermarket who wanted to go to a movie. I had been wanting to score with that woman in awhile. Oh well, I had promised her next weekend. I glanced at the paper Lara had gave me. I had a few blocks left to go.

I was too nice a guy. That's what my problem was. I was just doing someone a good deed. I would have done it for anyone at the office. But, dang it. Moving? What a great way to spend a perfectly good Saturday. I should be out on the practice range working on my moves.

Lara had an air about her that was a little stand-offish. She was scared of being hurt, of getting too close to anyone. I wondered if that had something to do with her discharge. It was a very real possibility. What I didn't understand was why it was being covered up. What had she done that was so horrible that no one could find out? I shook my head, wondering if I would ever find out.

That woman was too closed in, too afraid of getting hurt. How could she have been a Colonel? She was so detached from everything and didn't ever talk to me more than necessary. Sure, I'm not the most talkative person, but a conversation wouldn't kill anyone.

I had talked to Hughes, but he just went off about love, and it took me awhile to realize he was talking about his wife and his little girl. I had been too furious to listen to anything else he had to say, as I had thrown him out on his ass, slamming the door in his face. If I had to hear one more thing about his daughter, it would probably kill me. Sure, his kid was cute, but I didn't need to know how she looked at him in the morning before he left for work.

No, I shouldn't be doing this because of past transgressions I had committed on her family. I had done such an unforgivable deed and here was their daughter practically plopped into my lap and I was supposed to just carry on in front of her acting as normal as could be. It was so hard as I wanted so much to just forget what had taken place all those years ago, but there was no sense in dwelling in the past. I couldn't do anything to change it. I needed to make right with Lara to even chip away at the horrendous deed I had executed.

I shook my head as I made my way to the address she had given me. It was a nice looking house in a nice neighborhood. Good. She deserved that. I sighed, complaining again on the inside. I needed to suck it up, I told myself. I had given my promise. Time to get over the fact I was going to have to do hard labor.

I arrived on time and knocked on the door. When she opened the door in a long sleeved top that looked to be too small and short shorts, she smiled politely. Her long, long legs were bare and teasing me. I also noticed she was still wearing gloves. What was it with her and gloves? Of course, I was still wearing mine, so it shouldn't be too weird.

Smiling, she ushered me inside. "There aren't as many boxes as you'd think. It shouldn't take very long. I don't really have a lot of material processions. My father was in the military, and our family was constantly on the move. I learned the hard way that the few things you have, the better. Basically, I need your help moving some of the furniture around."

She was right. Within two hours, everything was unpacked and put in its proper place. We were done at around six. We hardly even sweated. Of course, the couch and chairs were a little hard to move, but it wasn't anything too outrageous.

After emerging from her bedroom, in a different shirt (It was filthy from all the dust), she stood next to me. "I'll make you supper. I know it doesn't even begin to repay you for your help, but I think it's a start. How does spaghetti sound?" she asked, as she headed into the kitchen.

I held out my hands, "There is no need; you don't have to do that." I shook my head. "I don't want to impose."

"But I want to. Please let me," she gave me the puppy-dog pout. I caved immediately, nodding. "Great!" She grinned.

Immediately she set to work. I offered to help, but she made me sit on the couch and make myself at home. From my vantage point, I could see her working.

Her legs were what held most of my attention. In her short shorts, her long, tanned, muscular legs stood out. She was obviously in shape. Her long sleeve top left room for me to fantasize. The sleeves showed off the muscles in her arms, and the shirt stopped right above her naval, showing off her flat stomach. Shaking my head, I thought of Emily, my date next weekend.

Before I knew it, she was done, and we were seated around her kitchen table slurping up the noodles.

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***Lara's POV***

As I was washing the dishes, Mustang kept offering to help, and I kept telling him to sit down. It was like he couldn't sit still. What was with men and not being able to just sit and relax. Damion had been the same way, only he would have already been helping, given up sitting still.

Every time I turned around, I caught Mustang staring at me, and I caught myself blushing like mad. His gaze was more than a little intimidating. I wasn't used to anyone but Damion looking at me like that.

Clad in nice khaki's and a T-shirt, I had a random thought that it would be totally weird to see him in jeans. Did Mustang even own a pair? He was usually all dressy even when he was supposed to be casual. Smiling to myself, I shook my head.

Wiping my hands dry on a towel, I joined him in the living room. "May I ask you a question?" I asked. It was about Marcoh, and there was hardly and research on him. I figured Mustang would know.

He waited patiently for me to continue.

"It's about Marcoh. What do you know about him?" I asked.

He frowned. "That makes you the second person that wanted to know." When I gave him a puzzled look, he continued, "Ed asked me about him as well."

"What did you tell him?"

Mustang let out a heavy sigh. "It's not something I like talking about. Besides, what do you want the information for anyway?"

I shrugged nonchalantly, "Curiosity, mainly. At lunch yesterday, I overheard Ed talking about it. Then Brigadier General Basque Gran called him a deserter. I don't like being out of the loop."

Mustang sat there for a long moment before answering, "The Philosopher's Stone was used in the Ishbal rebellion. It was used as an amplification device for many alchemists' powers, the Stone increased damage by large amounts. Marcoh escaped from the army after the large scale destruction during the war and was deemed a deserter. He hasn't been heard from since. No one knows where he is."

I nodded, taking it all in. Then, he must know how to create the stone. I was so close. Hopefully, Ed would find him and bring back a lot of information that would be useful.

"While we are playing twenty questions, I have another one." Mustang waited, so I continued, "Why did the Central headquarters get moved here to the eastern quarters?"

"There is a man named Scar that is responsible for the Fuhrer's move," Mustang answered after hesitating.

I was taken aback. Scar? He was here? Where? I knew it was wrong, but I wanted my revenge. He was going to pay for taking everything that was ever dear to me. He was going to die for his transgressions.

"So, I better be going. I've got some things of my own that I need done," Mustang said as he stood and headed for the door.

"Mind if I walk with you? I usually go for a walk after I eat, and I wanted to go now," I asked. I like his company; he was a good friend. Maybe my first friend since I have been in Central. I never had time to hang with any of the other officers because I was so busy. Sure, Hughes and the rest of the force were cool, but I never had much time for socializing. Hughes and Mustang had to be my closest friends.

"Not at all," he shook his head, shrugging.

So we ended up walking together in the crowded, busy streets of Central. Neither one of us said anything, just taking in the sights. Once we were in the center of the city, we just walked downtown and window shopped.

At last, Mustang said we were at his place. It was a mansion! A freaking mansion! My mouth almost dropped open in awe. It was gorgeous! I would never be able to afford a place like this. The house I was born in was a mansion, but my family couldn't keep buying mansions to live in for only a few short months and we ended up staying with friends or in hotels.

"Do you have a big enough house?" I teased.

He shrugged. "What can I say? I like big things."

"How can you stay alone in a house that big?" I asked looking over the landscaping job that was beautifully done. Must have many butlers and waiters that fawned all over him. Must be nice.

"Who says I was alone? I bring home a woman from time to time," he smiled to let me know he was kidding. "Want to come in?"

"Rain check? I really should be going. See you around!" I waved as I turned and headed back home. I turned down a side street. I wanted to go back home and enjoy my new house. It was really mine. Something I had bought with my hard earned money. Before coming to Central, I had lived at the military's base as it was just easy to live so close.

I noticed four men, all smoking, on the side of the street, all staring at me as I passed. I hurried by, but one caught a hold of my good arm.

"Come here, cutie," he smiled, showing off his yellowed teeth, flicking his cigarette to the ground. His other hand circled my waist.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll let me go," I warned. My automail arm was stronger than a weightlifter's. I would have no problem with beating these guys senseless. I would actually find pleasure in it. That or I would easily be able to use my alchemy to get myself out of this situation.

His friend grabbed my butt, and I smacked his hand away with my automail arm. He held his fingers as if I had broken them when I swatted them away; I probably did. It only angered them and they were all on me.

How was I going to get myself out of this one? The one was holding both my arms, and I couldn't pull away as all four of them were coming at me. I could handle one guy no problem. Two, maybe. But four?

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***REVIEW***


	5. The Automail Arm

Ok, so now we are into the new material of which no one has ever read. Yeah!! So, let me know if you like the direction this is heading in. I am really excited about this and can't wait to hear your guys' reactions. I have big things planned!

So, I hope you enjoy this a lot better than the first time through. Please review to let me know what you think and I will try to update as fast as I can! The more reviews, the faster this story will be updated, and I mean it this time, as I have a lot of it already typed out, so all I'll have to do is clicky a button, and tadda! Your next chapter!

Ok enough about me! Just enjoy the story, and don't forget to let me know what you liked, hated, and/or think I need to improve on!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, though I do own Lara!**

* * *

**Chapter 5 The Automail Arm**

They were all grabbing and pulling at my arms and the rest of my body with brute like strength. They were pulling so hard, they ripped the sleeves from my shirt and ripped the authentic skin off my automail arm in certain areas, revealing the metal automail, and they rubbed the skin on my other arm raw. Red hand prints could be seen on my exposed skin in the light, a ghostly reminder of the horrors I was facing.

They all stopped and stared at the automail, dumbfounded, as if they had never seen anything like it. Well, they probably hadn't. Not many people go walking around with metal arms. I used their hesitation to my advantage and knocked one over the head with my automail arm and knocked him out, which only angered the others. They started yelling in anger and crowded in harder around me, rough housing me.

Suddenly, one of them was thrown off me. I looked up to see who was rescuing me, and a pair of dark eyes locked with mine. Mustang had come to my rescue! Oh, how embarrassing for me, once a Colonel in the military, to need assistance against a bunch of incompetent losers looking for some fun. I was rusty and, for lack of a better term, weak. I had stopped practicing since I arrived in East City. That was definitely going to have to change. Together, Mustang and I beat up the thugs, putting them in their place. I had to admit that the two of us made quite a team.

I tried to cover up my arm with my torn sleeves, but he had seen it already. A scarlet red worked it's way up my face, and my hands got all clammy and damp. "You have an automail arm? Since when?" he asked, as if I had gone and gotten one since I had dropped him off at his house.

"Since the accident back home," I replied quietly. I felt like I was being scolded, though Mustang hadn't even raised his voice. It wasn't like I owed him anything. We didn't know hardly anything about each other. I just didn't like the fact that I had lied. I knew that in the military I was going to have to, but Mustang was nearly my only friend here. I felt as though this was something he at least deserved to know. But then, how was I supposed to have brought it up? That would have been an awkward situation.

He was by my side now, placing his jacket around my shoulders to cover my bare arms. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up. I'll give you a ride back to your place later."

I frowned. He just accepted it? I was a little taken aback by his lack of interest. Maybe he was just holding it in? His expression was unreadable, so I had no way of knowing what was running through his mind. He walked beside me, as he wouldn't let me lag behind. Once inside, he grabbed his phone and called the police, reporting the incident. Hanging up, he circled his arm around my shoulders and led me into the kitchen where he sat me down at his table. He was being so kind to me. He really was a good friend.

Rummaging through his drawers, he found a rag and after wetting it, he handed it to me. I dabbed at my forehead; the sweat stuck to my skin. Mustang left for a moment and returned with one of his shirts. Handing it to me, he told me to go change in the bathroom. I nodded and found the bathroom after getting directions.

Taking off my tattered shirt, I examined my skin. Bruises were appearing over my shoulders and good arm. I was just thankful they hadn't gotten my face anywhere. I didn't want to have to explain anything to anyone at work come Monday. What was I going to do about my arm? My automailists back home weren't going to be allowed to help me now that I am no longer enlisted, and I didn't know of anyone here. I was just going to have to deal with this mistake. There were ways around it. I could wear long sleeve shirts or jackets.

I slipped Mustang's shirt over my head. He had been so kind in giving me a long sleeved shirt to cover up my arm. I examined myself in the mirror. I was shaking violently and had to keep telling myself to calm down. I was ok. I opened the medicine cabinet and searched for some painkillers. Downing a few, I headed back to the kitchen.

Mustang was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee, staring off into space. There was another mug, opposite him, for me. I sat down and took a sip of the warm liquid. Relishing in the taste as it slid down my throat. It warmed up my insides, and I had never been so happy and content as I was at that moment. It was nice nothing to be heard, nothing bothering me, just nothing.

Neither of us said a word as we downed our first mug. I wasn't sure what to say, so I decided to let him break the silence first whenever he wanted. He had to have a lot of questions for me, and I wondered how much I would be willing to answer. "So, do you want to talk about anything?" he asked casually, looking at me out of the corner of eyes. He didn't want to push me, yet he wanted answers, I could tell. He was being considerate of my feelings.

I looked at my hands. I didn't want to talk about, but there was a part of me that thought he deserved to know the truth. "It's part of my past from back home," I replied, getting up to get more coffee.

He nodded, excepting the answer. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. You want to just go back home?" He forced a small smile to reassure me he was willing to wait for me to come to him, that he wasn't going to push me too hard.

I looked up. "Yes please." He was so understanding. This was a nice switch. I followed him to the garage and got into the front seat of his nice car. We drove in silence as we made our way back to my house.

Mustang walked me to the door. I really didn't want to be alone. I had a feeling if I would be alone, I would get depressed and start thinking about so many different things that I felt were my fault. It's how I handled all bad situations. I started thinking, and most of my thoughts took a turn for the worst, and I got too depressed. It was my mind's defense to something as traumatic as tonight was. I was secretly hoping Mustang would invite himself in.

"Can I come in?" he asked, not disappointing me one bit. "I'm a little thirsty. Could you put on a cup of tea?" he gave me a weak smile.

I nodded, thankful that he cared enough to want to keep me company and headed into the kitchen. "You know," I started as I made the tea, "Anyone else in your situation would be pumping me for answers." I was really curious as to why he wasn't doing what so many others would do if they were in his shoes, or even if our roles had been reversed. I didn't think I'd be able to stay as silent as he was being.

He shrugged. "It's your life. You'll tell me when you are ready. It isn't any of my business anyway." He played it off as if it wasn't that big of a deal, but I knew him better than that. He was being a good sport.

"Aren't you curious?" I asked, sitting down as I waited for the water to boil.

"I'm curious as hell," he nodded. "But, I don't want to push you if you aren't ready to talk about it."

I was taken aback at his maturity. "That means a lot," I told him, smiling across the table.

He shrugged. The tea pot whistled and I got up to fix us a cup. Handing over his cup, I took a seat and relished in the sweet flavor. I stared at the floor, having a debate with myself. I should at least tell him something. "It was an accident," I said.

"What was?" he asked, startled, looking up from his cup of tea. Confusion lined his features as he waited for me to explain.

"I lost my arm in an accident from back home. It was the same incident that got me demoted," I confided, finally. There, I had said it. That wasn't so bad. Soon, I'd feel comfortable with giving out more information. It was just a slow and gently process.

He nodded, and I could see that he was glad that I had confided in him. "Would I be out of line if I asked what happened?"

"No, but I hope you'll understand if I say I'm not ready to talk about it. It's still too soon." I wasn't sure that I would ever be ready to talk about it to anyone, at least not for a while.

He nodded in understanding. Mustang sat with me for an hour and we just talked about stupid things. The things we loved most about the military, the things we hated. I asked most of the questions, and he answered all of them without hesitation. He was doing a good job of getting my mind off of what happened. But, I felt maybe I should have done the same to him. I mean, it couldn't have been easy seeing someone you know getting harassed by a bunch of muscular strange men.

"You don't have to stay you know," I told him as I rubbed at my automail arm. I was so self-conscious about it. It was so hideous, and I hated that he saw me with it. It was such an embarrassment to be constantly reminded what I had failed at.

"I know, but I know you need me," he replied nonchalantly as if it was no big deal. On the contrary, it was a huge deal to me.

We only knew each other for such a short time and already he was helping me out in more ways than one. This, I had a feeling, was the beginning of a great friendship. Good, he was my only real one that I had made since moving here. I hadn't been real keen on finding someone to take Jane or Damien's place as best friend, but I knew he could never take their place in my heart. They had meant so much that I didn't want to feel like I was actually replacing them.

"It's getting late, I don't want you to waste your whole weekend here," I told Mustang as I stood up. "You can go home; I don't mind."

He looked at his watch. It was kind of late by now. "Well, then I'll be going then. If you are sure."

I nodded, "I'm fine, really." I followed him to the door. He opened the door, and I caught his arm. "Roy, thank you."

He nodded and walked out the door. I stayed at the door and watched him walk to his car. Before he got in, he stopped and turned back to me. "Your arm isn't anything to be ashamed of," he said. "If anything, it's a symbol of what you have been through and that you survived. It shouldn't be something you feel you have to hide." With that, he got in the car, started it, and drove off.

I watched him go and stayed at the doorway long after he was gone. A smile found its way to my lips as I locked my door and went back to the kitchen to clean up. I took off the gloves I had put on. The metal shined in the light. Heading to my room, I took off Mustang's shirt and looked at myself in the mirror. The arm was hideous, but he was right. I shouldn't be ashamed that I had lived. Though, I didn't think I would ever get over Damien and Jane's death, but that wasn't what Mustang had meant.

I was a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. What was my reason for living? I wasn't yet sure, but my mission in life would be clear soon, I hoped. I was ready to work on getting myself back in the groove of things. I was ready to be me again, and I owed it all to Mustang. He probably didn't even realize how much those words meant to me.

***REVIEW***


	6. Moonlighting

Ok, so now we are into the new material of which no one has ever read. Yeah!! So, let me know if you like the direction this is heading in. I am really excited about this and can't wait to hear your guys' reactions. I have big things planned!

So, I hope you enjoy this a lot better than the first time through. Please review to let me know what you think and I will try to update as fast as I can! The more reviews, the faster this story will be updated, and I mean it this time, as I have a lot of it already typed out, so all I'll have to do is clicky a button, and tadda! Your next chapter!

Ok enough about me! Just enjoy the story, and don't forget to let me know what you liked, hated, and/or think I need to improve on!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, though I do own Lara!**

**

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**Chapter 6 Moonlighting**

I grabbed the ringing phone, "Hello?" I answered as I flipped the page of the book I was reading through about Shou Tucker's talking Chimeras. Apparently, he had used his wife two years ago to create the first talking chimera. Then, just a few weeks ago, he had combined his daughter and dog. What a sick, twisted man.

"Lara?" came Ed Elric's voice through the receiver. He sounded as impatient as ever. Nothing new there. He sounded as though he had better things to be doing, and this was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Ed? What do I owe this pleasure?" I asked, sitting up, eager to know what he had learned. I turned the book upside down, keeping the page.

"I just thought I'd check in. We found Marcoh's place, and I just thought you'd like to know that there is a member of the military that is tailing us. He's been following us for some time now," Ed replied.

"Hm," I wondered which soldier was dumb enough to have thought he was going to be able to follow the Elric's. "I wouldn't worry so much about him. Just make sure you lose him before you go into the house." We didn't need anyone outside of our little circle to know what was going on.

"I'm not stupid. I know that. Look, I don't have much time, we better go," Ed snapped impatiently. He thought I was treating him like a child, I knew, but that was not the case. I was talking to him like I treated everyone else.

"Right. I'm on my way," I nodded, jumping up and throwing on some shoes, placing the phone between my shoulder and ear so I could use my hands. "Where is it?"

"What? You don't have to come," Ed insisted after giving me the place.

"Look kid, I want to meet this guy, and this might be our only chance. You go on ahead. I'll get there sometime tonight, ok? See ya then." I hung up the phone and was out the door in a flash. I hopped on the nearest train and headed towards the address Ed had given me.

I could barely wait for the train to stop; I was basically bouncing in my seat. Beings it was Saturday, I would still have enough time to get back by Sunday night and make it into work. If I had to call in sick on Monday, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. It was only a day. I wasn't even disappointed about not getting to finish my book about Tucker, which was pretty decent.

I wondered how many people were driven insane after searching for the stone or for advances in weapons. Like Shou, so many had fallen victim to the thought of success, a breakthrough in science. I however, was grounded by the thought of what I wanted. I would not fall off the trail.

Finally, a descent lead. Marcoh would help answer so many questions. I was so close to the Philosopher's stone. I could practically feel it's powers in my hand. I sighed as the train pulled into the station. I was almost there. Damien and Jane would be awakened, and I would be able to get my arm back.

The headline of the newspaper caught my eye. Reading over the article, it seemed another state alchemist had been killed by the serial killer. It was the same way all the other victims had been killed. They had exploded, from the inside out. Scar. I knew it was Scar. Sighing, I pushed all thoughts of Scar to the very recesses of my mind. Right now, I needed to focus on the task at hand. Marcoh was number one on my list at this point in time.

Stepping off of the train, I marveled at the sunset. Each one different than the one before, each just as beautiful. I made my way towards Marcoh's place. Ed better have given me the right address. As I neared, a state alchemist vehicle rushed passed me, and I found Ed running after it.

"Ed?" I asked, confused. What was going on? Why was the military here? Had they gotten to Marcoh? Oh no! The guy tailing the boys must have alerted the military when Ed and Al had found him.

"Lara! Marcoh was just arrested!" Ed called to me, confirming what I already knew.

Turning, I was ready to stop the car, but the car spun out of control and flipped onto its side. Basque Gran stepped out of the car towards the perpetrator. There, stood Scar. The very man I had pledged to myself to kill after what he had done to me was standing a few yards away from me. It seemed that everything was falling together. In one night, I had both things I really wanted. It must be my lucky day.

"Ed, get Marcoh out of the car!" I ordered as I rushed forward. "Scar!" I called out. Did he remember me? Did he realize the transgression he had caused for me?

Scar was in front of Basque Gran and was outstretching his arm. I knew what was coming. "No! Gran, get out of there! That arm-" But, I never got to finish, as Scar made quick work of the Brigadier General. His blood staining the street at Scar's feet. It almost seemed Scar didn't care; it was like he didn't even have a conscious. Basque Gran was just another casualty to the murderer. Even though I hadn't particularly cared for the guy, I would never have wished that fate upon anyone. Scar turned his attention to Marcoh, who was welcoming death.

Ed grabbed Marcoh then and took off down the side street, Al close behind. _Good job boys_. Even though I wanted to end Scar here and now, I knew Marcoh was first priority, so I took off after the boys. Ed and Al would only be able to do so much, and I was much more experienced. Scar was just behind me as I tore down the street. Clapping my hands together, I transmuted a wall to appear behind me, but Scar broke through it, tearing it down with his arm.

I kept transmuting obstacles, but he was able to break through every one using his arm. The Elrics, Marcoh, and I were cornered with no where to run or hide. I turned to face Scar. I was going to have to fight him. Using my water alchemy, I tried to freeze him, but he was able to free himself every time. Ed, Al, and I fought him all at once, and we were still no match for his awesome strength. He was twice all of our sizes and much more determined to kill.

He caught my automail arm and seemed to recognize me. "You. What is the little soldier doing so far away from home? You are a state alchemist and must die. You should have died back then! It wouldn't have had to come to this if you would have resigned from being a state alchemist!"

"That's what you think. You already took that arm from me!" I kicked him in the stomach and froze his arm up to his shoulder with the arm he caught me with. He started to activate his arm again when an explosion down the street caught his attention and stopped the attack.

I recognized the figure as The Strong Arm Alchemist. He stood in the mix of falling ruble and challenged Scar's strength with his own. Scar threw me into the wall and turned to block the hurling debris that Armstrong was throwing at him. Getting up, I grabbed Ed and Marcoh and fled down a tunnel, Al was right at my heels. I hoped that Armstrong would be able to handle himself, though I would be willing to bet he could hold his own.

We settled down in a side street. I blocked every entrance, transmuting walls on every side to hide us. I turned to the others, "Ok, I think we are safe for the time being. Armstrong will have called for reinforcements."

They all nodded and Ed turned to Marcoh, "I think you need to give us what we want."

Marcoh nodded forlonely. "Ishbal, originally a peaceful region that only differed in religion, erupted in civil war when an officer accidentally shot a child. State Alchemists were liberally used against the Ishbalans, who viewed alchemy as heretical. I was asked by Basque Gran to provide transmutation amplification agents in the form of red stones to aid the war, which resulted in huge casualties on the Ishbalan side. Roy Mustang, forced to kill a pair of doctors, who were saving lives from both sides, allowed me to desert the military."

I was taken aback. I had a sinking feeling that Mustang was involved, but I had no idea he was in that deep. I wasn't so shocked that he had killed someone; I mean, it came with the job. I had taken a few lives in my line of work. I had even gone against my own morals to follow the state, no matter how absurd the orders seemed to be. Because of this, I knew what Mustang had gone through. But, I was more surprised that he had basically committed treason by letting Marcoh escape. He struck me as the followed the rules by the book kind of guy. This just proved how little I actually knew about him.

I also thought I knew which doctors Marcoh was talking about. "Were the names of those doctors, Rockbells, by any chance?" I asked to confirm what I guessed I already knew.

Marcoh looked surprised, "Yes they were. How did you know?"

"They are Winry's parents," Ed replied, looking away. It was a pretty dark secret he had just found out. Poor kid. I wondered if he would tell her what crime Mustang had committed. If he did, I was sure that Winry would no longer like Mustang or anyone in that branch that was covering for him.

"We need to get you into hiding. We can't let Scar get you. And you obviously don't want to be found out by the military. You should escape to Resembool with Ed and Al at Pinaco and Winry's," I replied.

Marcoh shook his head, "No, I can't go and hide with the very daughter of the people who were brutally murdered."

Suddenly, the wall on our left was blown apart and Scar ran through, running into me in his escape. Upon seeing whom we were, he stopped to face us. I jumped to my feet and stood in front of Marcoh to protect him.

Ed and Al fought him off, but Scar must have figured out the composition of their automail and armor as he was able to destroy Ed's arm and a part of Al's body. Scar was all business now; no more screwing around. I jumped up to protect the boys from further harm. I took a swing at Scar's head. I landed a blow at the very tip of his head as he attempted to duck. Ice formed where I had hit.

He punched me in the stomach with his normal arm. Gasping for breath, I fell to my knees. Swinging my feet in front of me, I tripped Scar. He fell forward, pinning me beneath him. He grabbed my automail arm and using his devastating hand, destroyed it. I cried out as I was suddenly in a lot of pain. He had torn the arm right out of the socket. Now, I only had a shoulder on the one side.

I kicked up, getting him off of me. Marcoh was standing near my head. He threw a red stone at Scar. Crying out in pain, the stone seemed to be getting absorbed into his tattooed arm. Knowing he wasn't going to be able to do anything more to us, he fled before the soldiers arrived to our aid.

I was breathing heavily as the military stormed the streets. I stood up, feeling a little unbalanced without my one arm. My sleeve flapped in the wind as there was no longer anything there. I stood by Marcoh's side. The soldiers attempted to bring him with them.

I shook my head, "No. He isn't going anywhere."

"You needn't worry about your friend," a young woman assured me. I recognized her from one of my books. She was Ms. Douglas, the Fuhrer's secretary. "He will be taken to a safe location."

I wasn't so sure, but Marcoh seemed to trust her. Before he left, he turned to me, "There is one other family Mustang killed who were with the Rockbells. Remember this, he was following orders. You should understand that. Mustang is a good guy with a past he himself can't quite move passed."

I frowned. Why was Marcoh telling me this? I understood what a soldier was required to do. As he followed the soldiers, he knelt at Ed's side and slipped something into his hand. Frowning, I walked to their side as Marcoh was pulled away and shoved into the car.

Sighing, I was about to ask about what he was given when Armstrong interrupted me. "I think we should head back as well, don't you?" he suggested as he gathered up Al and placed him in a box.

"I'm glad you managed to keep all your limbs," I forced a small smile his way, glad Armstrong hadn't ended up as another one of Scar's victims.

"No one is able to defeat the beauty of my strength!" he said as tore off his shirt to show off his enormous muscles that lined his entire body. I understood why they called him the Strong Arm Alchemist.

"Right," I chuckled lightly as I led us away from the scene that would cause me nightmares for some time. Scar. I was not emotionally ready to have met him so soon after the attack. He had caught me by surprise, but I would be ready the next time, and hopefully next time, there would be no more distractions. If it could just be the two of us, that would be great.

We headed solemnly towards the train station, and after a mix-up with the train unloading Al in the wrong station and a fiasco with a young girl, we were back on the right train heading towards... Actually, I wasn't sure where we were going. Ed nor Al had told me anything upon boarding the train.

"So, where are we going?" I asked Ed, breaking the silence between us.

"To Resembool, my home town," he answered. "We need to get repaired as soon as possible, and I know the best automailists around. They do it for a pretty cheap price, which is a bonus with our line of work. Not like we are exactly rolling in money with what we do."

"Ya, I know what you mean," I nodded in agreement. "But, just how long is this going to take?" I asked nervously. Just how many days was I going to have to call in for? I wondered. Hopefully one days more than planned.

"Hopefully no longer than a week," Ed replied.

"A week?" I groaned. Great, I would have to call the office and call in sick for this next week. Sighing, I leaned against the window and watched as the countryside rolled by just like my life seemed to be doing lately. My life seemed to be spiraling out of my own control. So much was happening that I didn't even know how to process it all. Where did I even begin to think?

Marcoh's last words to me rang in my ears. What did he mean by that? It didn't make any sense. I just kept replaying what he said in my mind hoping something would suddenly make sense to me, though I had no such luck. It was going to drive me crazy until I would be able to figure it out.

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(Oh! A twist! I am having so much fun writing this! I just hope you all are liking what you are reading!)

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	7. Caught in the Act

So, I didn't get any reviews for the last chapter. I'd like to know if you are all still interested in this story or not. I want to improve my writing, and I will never know unless you guys tell me what you like or don't like. I love constructive criticism. It makes everyone happier this way.

I'm sorry it took so long getting this chapter out, but it's here now, so I hope you will forgive me!

Ok enough about me! Just enjoy the story, and don't forget to let me know what you liked, hated, and/or think I need to improve on!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, though I do own Lara!**

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**Chapter 7 Caught in the Act**

Major Armstrong, Ed, Al, and I arrived in Resembool late afternoon on Sunday. Ed led the way to the Rockbell's. This place brought back so much memories. I was born and raised here. I looked up on the hill where my house stood. Now, a new family was happily settled down there.

I remembered the day I had received the news of my parents' death. I had been with Winry at the time, and we had received the news of our parents' deaths at the same time. I took a deep breath. Should I tell Winry who had killed her parents? No. Ed knew her better than I did. He would tell her when the time was right.

I saw the Rockbell Automailist sign, which brought back even more memories. I had spent more time at Pinaco's then I did at my own home. My parents were never home, so I was always there, watching over Winry, Al, and Ed. They were like my younger siblings back then. When I left, I lost touch, and it was apparent that they had forgotten me temporarily. They had been so young I didn't blame them.

Pinaco greeted us outside; she must have heard us coming. "Fancy seeing you after all this time," she said to me when she saw me standing behind Major Armstrong.

I rubbed the back of my head with my only arm. "Ya, sorry about not keeping in touch. Really busy back home." I hoped she wouldn't ask what I had been up to or where home was. I didn't want to have to explain myself. She gave me a hard look but didn't say a word about it.

Pinaco led us inside as she and Ed exchanged a few words. As I stepped over the threshold of the house, I was taken aback that nothing had changed, not even Pinaco. She looked the same as ever. Winry was standing hunched over a table. She had done a lot of growing up, that was for sure.

"Hey Win," I waved a little as she turned to see who had all arrived.

She squinted as she racked her brain for a name to my face. "Lara?" she asked as she ran to give me a hug.

I punched Ed in the arm. "She remembered me."

Ed turned away, "Ya, well, you've gotten so old it's hard to tell."

I punched him harder this time as I turned to Winry, "How have you been doing, girl?"

She smiled sweetly up at me, "Been holding my own." She turned her head to Ed. "And I see you have gone and destroyed the best automail I have ever created! I put my whole heart and soul into building that!"

I cut in before she could start bashing on him. "It was my fault, actually. And, I need a repair as well."

Winry blinked at me. "I don't remember you having an automail arm while you were here."

Ed turned then. "Come to think of it, neither do I."

I chuckled nervously. "Ya, well, accidents do happen." I turned serious then. "But, in all honesty, I don't really want to talk about it."

She and Ed exchanged looks but they nodded. "Ok, so you need new automail, huh?"

"That's why we're here," I nodded. I wondered how they did this as I was unconscious when they had done it the first time.

"Look, is there any way you can have this done in a week? We need to get back to Central, as soon as possible," Ed asked.

Pinaco smiled slyly, "Please, Ed, don't insult me. I can have it done in three days."

"Ya, we'll start right now!" Winry beamed.

"I knew you wouldn't let us down," Ed smiled.

"Come here, we need to take some measurements," Winry grabbed my good arm and measured my good arm while Pinaco measured Ed. As soon as Ed was fixed, he would be able to reconstruct Al's body. I felt so bad about the shape those boys were in. It was my fault. I had been the one that told them to find Marcoh.

Winry caught sight of Ed's pocket watch then and grabbed it. "How does it work?" she practically squealed as she looked it over, caressing it with her cheek. "Can I take it apart? I'll put it back the way I found it!"

Ed yanked it out of her hand, "No way! I know how you get when you see something technological."

She hung her head. Turning her head, she glanced at Armstrong.

"I think I'll go chop about a year's worth of firewood," he said as he got up and headed out back.

I chuckled, but shook my head when she looked at me. "I need to use your phone," I said, getting up. I needed to call Mustang to call in sick.

Winry pointed me in the right direction, and I dialed the number. "Colonel Mustang's office," Hawkeye's voice answered.

"This is Lara. May I please speak to Mustang if he isn't busy?" I asked, twisting the cord of the phone around my finger.

"Mustang here," Mustang answered.

"Yes, sir. I have come down with the flu. I won't be coming in for work tomorrow. I doubt I'll be in for a few days, actually," I mumbled, to make my voice sound as sickly as possible. I coughed to add affect.

"You aren't faking this are you? This isn't about Friday, is it?" he asked quietly after a moment. My heart skipped a beat. For a moment, I had thought he knew I was lying.

"No, this has nothing to do with that night. I'm just sick as all. I haven't the energy to do anything. I just don't think I should come in for the next few days until I'm better," I insisted, keeping the sickly tone.

"Well, good idea; you don't want to be giving that to the rest of the crew," he agreed.

"Yes, well, just thought I'd let you know. I'll see you when I feel better," I told him as I hung up.

When I entered the main room again, only Pinaco, Winry, and Armstrong, who had finished chopping wood for now, were there. Armstrong sitting at the table while the women were working. Armstrong was just telling them about Ed and Al's fame they had acquired in the time they were away.

I nodded towards them but headed out the door. I found Al sitting in his box watching the sun set. "Where's Ed?" I asked.

"Visiting Mom's grave," he answered solemnly.

I knelt next to him, "Al, what's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Just missed this place is all."

I nodded, getting the feeling that he wasn't telling me the truth. "I missed it too. Didn't think I'd miss it this much." When I had left all of this behind, I really hadn't thought I'd miss anything. I thought I held no attachments here. My only family was dead. But, after coming back, I realized, I missed the people much more than I thought I ever would.

I went to bed early because of all the stress of everything that had happened in the last few days. Sighing, I wanted sleep to take me, but I hoped the nightmares of Scar wouldn't resurface. I didn't want to scare Winry, as we were sharing a room for the duration of the stay.

Finally falling asleep, I did dream. I dreamt Scar was killing Mustang and everyone else around me. He was taking all my new friends so that I was left alone and scared.

The days passed quickly. I visited my parents' graves and went by the house everyday. It made me sadder every time I visited that they were dead, and I was alive. When I returned early morning of the third day, Pinaco and Winry were just setting everything up to reattach our automail. Ed was ready and waiting. Armstrong had to help hold him down as they reattached his arm because Ed kept moving; the pain must have been unbearable.

I frowned, scared now. Was it really that painful? I didn't know if I would have the courage to not actually yell out. I shook as I watched how drained Ed was as Armstrong carried him to his and Al's room. I thought, maybe it isn't worth it. I don't really need that arm.

"You're next, Lara," Winry said, pulling me out of my idiotic thoughts.

I nodded as I took a seat in the chair previously occupied by Ed. I was sweating I was so nervous for the pain. They lined it up and when Pinaco said go, the pain that shot up my arm as the arm reattached to my nerves was unbearable. I screamed from the pain, falling to the floor when they were finished. I felt as though I wanted to claw my arm off it hurt so badly.

Armstrong grabbed me and carried me to my room, setting me on Winry's bed so that I was more comfortable. I was in and out of unconsciousness for the next few hours. When I came to, I found it was nearly four in the afternoon. I tried rotating my arm, but it was really sore. I winced as I made my way into the living room where I found Winry hunched over Ed's jacket. She was holding his watch.

I came up behind her. On the inside, "Never Forget" was etched into the lid of the watch with a date. "You might want to put that back," I told her, startling her. She started protesting, but I held up a hand. "Look, I don't care what you are doing, but just do the right thing, ok?"

With that, I headed outside to watch the boys spar. Ed was obviously feeling much better, and Al was all fixed up. They were sparring with the major. I smiled as I watched. Ed saw me watching and invited me to fight, but I refused, shaking my head. I blamed my arm. It was feeling better, but I was still emotionally drained from the pain.

When they were finished, I headed over Ed, "Look, I don't want to rush you guys or anything, but I have to be at work tomorrow. I can't afford not working for another day, so would you mind if I left tonight? You guys can stay if you want for another day," I told him.

He nodded. "We will come with you. We want to get started on the research as soon as we can. Marcoh gave me a note. We need to find a book in the first branch of the library. He also scribbled 'The genuine truth behind truths.' Almost like an afterthought. Not sure what it all means, but I'm itching to figure it out soon. I'll go tell everyone we are leaving."

I smiled, "Thanks, Ed. I appreciate that."

I arrived late that night. I left the boys at the station. I needed to get some sleep before work in the morning. It would seem the boys were receiving different bodyguards because they figured they would be Scar's next target. Armstrong had insisted I needed some as well, but I had talked him out of it as I was with Mustang most of the time, and that I could handle myself. Then, I slipped away before he could change his mind.

In the morning, I arrived dreary eyed at the office a few minutes later than usual. Mustang was already in his office. He caught sight of me, and I could have sworn I saw him grimace after doing a double take. I knew I didn't look the best, but that was only because of the hour I had arrived home last night.

"You sure you're better?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded, "Just a little tired is all," I replied taking a seat at my desk and looking at the stack of papers that had accumulated in my absence. I sighed. Great, no breaks for me today. But, it was just as well so that I wouldn't fall asleep.

I was looking through papers about a fire in the library last night. I was wide awake now. Please not the first branch, please not the first branch. After doing some skimming, I found it was the first branch. Hardly any books had been recovered. Dang it. I slammed my fist on the table.

After finally getting a lead, it was ripped out from under me. Why was God smiting me? Did he like messing with my heart? I wanted to scream at the world, at myself for my believing that we actually had a lead, that we would get somewhere.

"Is there a reason you look like you want to destroy that piece of paper?" Mustang's voice cut through my thoughts. I looked up; he was right in front of the desk, giving me an inquisitive stare.

I was brought back to my senses and released the paper. I shook my head. I had forgotten where I was. "Sorry," I mumbled.

He grabbed the paper I had been holding. Frowning, he waved it at me. "Why does the fire upset you so much? Like books that much?"

"Something like that," I muttered, refusing to look him in the eyes. "What do you know about it?"

He shrugged, "Just that Scar was present. People think that he probably fought someone, and it got out of hand." His phone rang then.

Mustang answered it as I fumed. Scar. He was responsible for yet another loss in my life. Something I thought important ripped out from under me again by this man. It was like he had a personal goal to make my life as miserable as possible.

Hanging up the phone, Mustang returned to my desk. "That was Hughes, he's with the Elric boys and they apparently found a girl who used to work at the librarian at that branch. Sheska. Hughes hired her to rewrite all of the books lost. She has a great memory," he informed me.

"Wow, that's remarkable," I nodded. Finally, another tunnel of hope was opened. Maybe there was a chance that we would be able to get the information that I needed. I'll call Ed tonight and see what he had gotten out of the journal.

"You're hiding something from me," Mustang stated. It wasn't even a question. There was no doubt in his voice.

I frowned. "What gives you that idea?" I asked, a little insulted at his brashness. What did it matter to him anyway? It didn't affect my work.

"Well, I went to your house the past two nights and you weren't home on both accounts. You weren't sick. You weren't even home for the past five days, were you? Where were you?" he explained.

"Just out," I stood up and grabbed some of the papers, walked to the filing cabinet in his office, and filed them alphabetically. I didn't want him to know what I was after. He would be ashamed and angry of me going after the philosopher's stone for my own conceited revenge. There was no way he would condone my leaving for these "missions."

"Look, I understand that everyone has secrets, but don't lie to me. If you continue to do so, your job will be in question," Mustang followed me into his office, looking out the window.

I stopped. "What? You know how much I need this job." I turned to face him, dropping the papers on top of the cabinet. He was being so unfair! I didn't ask anything about his personal life, and I expected the same in return. What was it to him what I was doing as long as it didn't affect my job?

"Do I? I know absolutely nothing about you. I know more about your house than I do about you, and I've been to your house less times than I've seen you," Mustang turned to face me as well.

I looked away, knowing full well that he was right. I wanted to tell him so much, to tell someone. Right as I was about to say something, Havoc barged in to talk about the fire in the first branch of the library ruining the moment. I gave Mustang one final look as I slipped back out to my own desk. I could finish putting those files away later; like, after he was gone for the night.

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***PLEASE REVIEW***


	8. Confessions and Secrets

So, I didn't get any reviews for the last chapter. I'd like to know if you are all still interested in this story or not. I want to improve my writing, and I will never know unless you guys tell me what you like or don't like. I love constructive criticism. It makes everyone happier this way.

I'm sorry it took so long getting this chapter out, but it's here now, so I hope you will forgive me! I just wasn't feeling very motivated, that and midterms are here, so I've been studying really hard.

Ok enough about me! Just enjoy the story, and don't forget to let me know what you liked, hated, and/or think I need to improve on!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, though I do own Lara!**

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**Chapter 8 Confessions and Secrets**

***Mustang's POV***

Resting my chin in my hand, I toyed with the pen on my desk. Twirling it in my fingers, I sighed heavily. She had seemed so close to talking to me about her past, but Havoc had ruined that quickly. It was almost like I wasn't meant to find out. But, I wasn't about to accept that. Lara and I had been through a lot, and we were getting to know each other quite a bit.

Getting up, I headed for the door. I was going to try and make it right between us again. I didn't like not talking to her. I stopped short when I caught her voice. Lara was talking to someone on the phone. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but it was like my feet were glued to the floor and didn't want me to leave.

"What?" she asked heatedly, as if she didn't believe some insane accusation. "No. That can't be true." Her voice softened then, as if she was trying to convince herself more than whoever was on the other end of the receiver. It was silent for some time, then. "I want to come with you…. No problem at all. We can do a quick check tonight. No problem. Right. Bye."

My first thought was a date? No, if it was, she wouldn't be as secretive. Plus, the tone of voice she held wasn't one that went with talking to someone you wanted to go out with. Something secretive and discreet was taking place, and my curiosity was taking control. I stepped through the door and seemed to startle her. I could still do what I had intended to do before I had been distracted.

"Look, sorry about earlier. But, I thought we were getting pretty close to not have so many secrets," I shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal, but that was far from the truth. "It doesn't bother me that you have secrets, but I just can't stand being lied to."

She nodded, taking it all in. "I understand that, Mustang. So, I won't lie to you anymore. But, when I can't tell you something, what should I do? Sometimes, lying is easier to handle than the truth." So much emotion passed through her eyes at that last sentence. So much pain. She got up and began rifling through a stack of papers. It was a habit of hers when she got nervous.

I grabbed her wrist. "I don't want to pry, but just know that you can talk to me. If something comes up that you can't tell me what's going on, just say so." It seemed out of my character to be so sensitive towards anyone. I was usually so calculating, but she made me lose concentration, and I just wanted to be there for her whenever she needed me.

She turned and stared into my eyes. "I appreciate that, thank you." She held my gaze, and I realized how close our bodies were to each other.

I turned my head and dropped her wrist. I started back to my office. At the door, I turned back, "You know, you can't go through living life as though everyone you meet will one day let you down." With that, I shut the door to my office, wanting to be alone. I hoped that what I said would spark something in her heart.

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***Lara's POV***

I didn't have time for Mustang at the moment. Ed had just called with information about Marcoh's notes. Apparently, live human beings was the main ingredient in creating the stone. So close, yet so far away. If that was the only way, there was no way I would actually be able to go through with that. But, Ed was going to check out Central's Fifth Laboratory, which was supposedly suppose to be closed for years, as they thought it was being used as research for the stone.

I took out a map of the city and found where the lab was located. Right next to a prison. I sighed. It all made sense. I circled the lab and made a few more notes on the edges about my thoughts on the lab. I needed to write down what I was thinking or else I would forget about it later.

I took out another paper and wrote down what Marcoh had told me all those days ago. Another family had been killed by Mustang, but he had been following orders. I already knew how nice of a guy Mustang could be. Why would Marcoh tell me this? Sighing, I thought to that night. It almost seemed a lifetime ago. I should really check on the safe location of which he had been taken.

What didn't make sense was the fact that my heart wanted me to go and confide in Mustang everything that had happened. The accident, what Ed, Al, and I were after, everything. Mustang had been there to help me on more than one occasion. Maybe, he deserved to know the truth about my past. With everything that was happening, my mind was taken off of it and I felt much better than usual. I was ready to talk to someone. With a confidant, my life wouldn't be as stressed, either.

Standing up, I took a deep breath before pushing open Mustang's door and shutting it behind me. Mustang was looking out his window at the people below. I took a seat in his chair opposite his desk. "I'm ready," I practically whispered. I didn't think he heard me, and I was ready to repeat myself, but he turned then and took a seat in his own chair.

"I want to tell you about my past, about why I was demoted. I think I'm ready to talk about it." Mustang was quiet, waiting for me to continue on my own terms; he wasn't going to push me into anything. I took a deep breath before continuing. "My file is bare because I had some friends in high places back home that covered for me. My parents, Jezzica and James Bradford, were killed when I was about fourteen. They were doctors in the Ishbal War. They were never home, so I basically grew up with Ed, Al, and Winry."

"Wait, you know the Elric boys?" Mustang interrupted.

I nodded, "I babysat them all the time when they were little. Pinaco was like my grandmother, and Trisha Elric like my second mom, until she died, but she died long after I had left. I feel bad that I never got in contact with them after I left, but after I received the news of her death, I didn't know what to say, so I never returned or contacted them. I still feel bad as they were like my little brothers and sisters. I left right after the news of my family's death. I was already a state alchemist, and had done small missions that didn't require me to leave. I did paper work at home and mailed it back. I did this in secret because I knew how much they all hated the military. When I left, I became a full time soldier and worked my way up to Colonel.

"Back in the state, I was a Colonel and a state alchemist, and a damn good one if I do say so myself. I loved the missions, and I hated being confined in the office. Paperwork really wasn't my thing… I had two others that day."

"Wait," Mustang held up his hand before I could continue. "You're an alchemist? How is it that I didn't even know that much?"

I shrugged. "You never asked, and I have never had to use it in front of you. I practice all the time in my back yard. I set up obstacles and a training center for me and everything."

He raised his eyebrows in shock and waved his hand for me to continue.

"It was like every other day. Jane and Damien and I went on almost every mission together. Damien was my superior and Jane my partner. Scar was our target. It was routine mission that had gone horribly wrong. Scar had killed many of our soldiers, and the three of us were supposed to find and track this guy bringing him back dead or alive. We were supposed to wait for back up, but I was anxious and convinced them we could handle this on our own.

"I don't remember much of the day except for the fact that somehow, Scar had managed to grab a hold of both Damien and Jane. I was one of the best shots in the unit, but if I shot, I risked losing Damien and Jane. He warned me not to do anything stupid. He moved, and I got trigger happy. I shot him in the shoulder, but not before he killed them, right before my eyes." The image of their bloodied bodies popped into my head, and I couldn't get it out. "I will never forget that sight. So much blood." I shook as I remembered the bloody mess that was their mangled bodies.

Shaking my head, I continued, "Uh, Scar, he came after me then, grabbing my arm." I rubbed the arm he had detached from me. "He must have been weak, I don't know, but when he used that horrid arm of his, he only took my arm up to my shoulder. By then, back-up had arrived and scared him away. I remember falling to my knees, and the blood… the blood seemed to soak into my very skin. I don't even know if it was my own or if it was Damien and Jane's." Tears formed in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. How could I possibly have anything left to cry?

"When I awoke, the doctors had used the best automailists around and they were even able to put fake skin over the metal to hide the mistake I had made. My superior called me into his office later, when I was well enough to leave and fired me for killing Damien and Jane, saying I basically killed them."

I looked up at Mustang then, unable to read his expression. "He was right. I did kill them. If I had listened; if I had done what I was told, they would still be alive." I had to wipe at my eyes to keep the tears from flowing freely down my cheeks.

"Lara-" Mustang started.

"Colonel, Armstrong is here to see you," Hawkeye interrupted after knocking on the door once.

I stood up and forced a slight smile, bowing to him before I left. I had no idea what was running through his head, and I really wanted to know what he was about to say. Our friendship had grown over the few weeks I had been here. I found that confiding in him hadn't been that hard.

I returned to my desk and hurriedly finished my day's duties. I wanted to get done and meet up with Ed and Al. It was about six and I was grabbing my things. I needed to go meet them. I was supposed to meet them in front of the laboratory in fifteen minutes. Mustang was still in his office. I didn't feel like disturbing him, so I left a note saying I had finished and gone home.

I ran out the door, excited to be out and about again. It felt good to be able to leave the office and be doing something to further my search for the stone instead of being cooped up in the office all day. Hopefully, this would help us figure out a different path to creating the stone; one that didn't involve sacrificing live human souls. Nothing in life was worth that.

When I arrived, I looked through the gate, which was locked with a chain and padlock. I could probably slip through the bars, I thought. Taking a closer look, I noticed there was a trip wire at the base of the gate that I had nearly missed seeing. I frowned, if this was truly an abandoned building, what was a need for traps?

I looked around. Maybe through the back way? I raced along the sidewalk and slipped down an alley way and looked up at the solid wall that was blocking my way. Barbed wire sat at the top. It might hurt a little, but it was the only way for me to get over. I backed up a distance, and using my training skills, I managed to build up enough speed that I was able to run up the wall a few inches. Just enough for me to jump and grab the ledge of the wall.

I winced in pain as the barbed wire bit into the flesh of my palm. I ignored the pain and pulled myself up and jumped down onto the other side. The Elric brothers had seemingly just found an air duct for Ed to crawl through. Wiping the blood from my palms on my shirt, I ran to their side.

"Ok, Al you stay here, we will be back soon, ok?" Ed told his younger brother. Al gave him a boost up to the air duct before he helped me up. I followed Ed closely through the duct. It was a good thing I wasn't claustrophobic as the duct seemed to get smaller the closer we got to the other side.

Finally, Ed jumped down from the air duct. I followed suit and landed gracefully beside him, triggering a trap. The floor beneath us gave way. I reached out and grabbed a hold of Ed's leg. He had managed to grab the ledge, saving us both. Sharp spikes gleamed up at us, waiting for something to fall into it.

I sighed as Ed managed to pull us both up. That had been a little too close. "Come on," I waved him ahead, and we continued down a corridor. This time, Ed triggered a trap as a huge, round ball started chasing us down the corridor. Screaming, Ed and I ran frantically away from it, though the ball was speeding up with each rotation. I saw Ed trip and roll to the side, narrowly missing getting hit. Good idea, Ed! I dove to the side and made myself as small as possible.

Panting heavily, Ed and I exchanged glances. "I don't know about you, but I have had enough of these traps!" I exclaimed as I transmuted the floors and walls to be completely smooth so that neither of us could trigger any more traps.

Ed nodded as we continued to the door at the end of the hall. Opening it slowly, it creaked loudly, alerting whoever was on the other side of our presence. So much for discreet appearance. I walked slowly inside, inspecting every inch of the room for anything suspicious. A man in a metal suit appeared at the other end of the room and stared us down.

"Who are you?" I demanded of him as I prepared myself for a fight. He looked like a guard of some sort. Maybe a guard that was supposed to kill anyone who came here.

"I am the guard of the laboratory. I am known as Number 48," he informed us.

"Catchy," Ed joked. Leave it to him to still be able to joke when we were in a serious position. But, it was good to lighten our moods a bit.

Suddenly, Number 48 lunged forward, sword in hand.

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***Mustang's POV***

I opened my office to find Lara wasn't sitting at her desk as usual. Closing the door behind me, I slipped my arm through the sleeve of my jacket. A note caught my eye that told me she had finished early. Dang it. I had hoped to talk to her about our conversation from earlier.

I crumpled up the note and threw it away. But a bright red circle caught my eye. I didn't mean to snoop, but I couldn't help myself. I glanced at the paper and found it was a map of the city of Central. She had circled Laboratory 5. She had also jotted down a few notes about how she thought that the lab was being used for research on the Philosopher's Stone.

I frowned. That building had been closed for years. How could that building be used for something such as that without my knowing about it. Surely if there was something going on, I'd know. And if I didn't, it was probably for good reason. Where Lara got that idea from.

The phone call she had received. Did it have something to do with that?

Upon further inspection, I also found a piece of paper that had my name on it. It said, _Mustang did what he had to do, because of his orders. He killed two family's that day. One other besides the Rockbells. He was just doing his job_.

Frowning, I wondered how she could possibly know that information. That day, I had killed four doctors: the Rockbell's- Winry's parents- and a couple named Bradford. That was when it had hit me. Stumbling back, I hit my back against the wall. It couldn't be true. No. This couldn't be happening.

Rushing back into his office, I pulled out Lara's file and glanced at the parent's names. It was true. It matched. It had been me. How could I not have realized it sooner? I should have checked into it when I found out her name, but I hadn't thought anything of it. Did she know what I had done, the horrible crime I had committed? Was she going to say something earlier when they had been talking? That I had killed Lara's parents.

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	9. The Guardians

So sorry it took so long for me to update! But, I wasn't getting very many reviews, so I wasn't feeling very motivated. So, I must thank Sakurachibi08 for getting me going again! Also a shout-out to blackbeltgirl95 for the review! I love you guys!

This chapter is extra long, so I hope you like it! I tried to keep it close to the episode as much as possible. Things will be getting pretty intense from here on out, I think. I only have the next two chapters written out at the moment, and it'll get good (I hope you think so too!) But, I have finals this week so I can't work on it. Yeah for summer!

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!

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**Chapter 9 The Guardians**

Ed and I managed to dodge the sword, but Number 48 kept coming with swift, crisp slices at us. He nicked my automail arm, cutting the sleeves of my uniform. Frowning, I snapped my fingers, freezing his arm. However, he was able to break the ice and kept attacking, getting me in my left shoulder.

I cringed from the pain and jumped out of the way while Ed took a shot. I noticed Ed grimace when Number 48 came down hard with his sword on his right hand. Was there something wrong with his automail? I ran and joined in, to help relieve Ed of the pain he was currently in.

I jumped into Ed's waiting hands, and he flipped me in the air as the killer was about to slice his sword down on us. I was aiming to take off his head, but I missed my opportunity when he cut my arm with his sword. Blood poured out as I landed off to the side. When I turned around, Ed took advantage of the Number 48's split focus. Ed managed to pull back the helmet, breaking the person's neck.

I sighed in relief as the fight was done. I rushed to Ed's side. But, the man in the armor wasn't done. He turned around, and I gasped. There was nothing in the armor. I could see the blood seal, however at the base of his neck. He was just like Al. I was sure Ed was thinking the exact same thing.

"You're a curious one," the armor told us. "If you must know, I was known as Slicer when I was in human flesh. According to the official record, I was executed two years ago."

"Prisoner?" Ed and I exchanged looks.

So there is a link between this laboratory and the prison. I knew it! Ed and I were right! There was something fishy going on in the military. Something someone was trying to cover up. Well, now that I knew, I wasn't just going to let it happen. But, what were they doing with all the prisoners? What use could they serve? What experiments were being run?

"I'm the immortal guard to this prison," Slicer was telling us, breaking my train of thought.

I glanced up, curious. "No, you're hardly immortal," Ed said. He pointed at the blood seal. "That blood seal is the only thing keeping your soul bound to this world." Ed was confident; we knew his weakness.

I smiled. "Right. If someone breaks the seal, he's a goner."

"Right," Ed nodded.

Suddenly, Slicer burst out laughing. "Finally, someone with a backbone! Someone that might actually be able to stand up to me, to give me a challenge!"

"But, we know your weakness!" I reminded him, wondering why he sounded so excited. He was a twisted little man that I just would never understand.

"I don't care. I like a little struggle in the kill." He glared us down. "So try to make it last!"

Ed took off running, his automail arm shining in the little light that emanated from the window. I followed suit, and together we attacked. Slicer was good, and he was able to block all our advances and still have time to retaliate back. Ed's shoulder must have been giving him trouble, as I noticed on more than one occasion that he was trying to favor it. Something was wrong.

Something in Ed changed, like a switch. Suddenly, he was in a hurry to end this and he started to slash about. For what reason I wasn't sure. Maybe he was getting tired and wanted to finish this before he started getting sloppy. I was all for that. Slicer lashed out, but Ed did a backflip out of the way, though Slicer caught his shoulder. Blood sprayed out like a fountain. Ed seemed to only be able to block and wasn't able to get good footing. He fell back on his butt when he tried backing up, and I hurriedly ran in front of him to block the next attack. I had been just watching, and I needed to kick it in gear.

Using alchemy, I summoned a rod that would help me fight him off. Slicer grabbed the rod and ripped it from my hands, hitting me hard in the gut with it, sending me flailing on my back. I grunted in pain as I rolled to my side, trying to get up. I couldn't just lay there on the ground. I was as good as dead that way.

"Unlike your body, my body doesn't know fatigue. This fight won't last much longer. Give up any hope you had. As we speak, my colleague is dispatching your friend outside. You can't rely on him to save you now," Slicer had a cocky tone to his voice, like he knew something we didn't. He thought he had us beat.

I was a little worried. We might need Al's help should this get out of hand. But, Ed seemed adamant that Al would be fine, telling me to believe in him, which I did. I trusted Ed's judgment as he knew Al better than I did. I nodded in agreement as I eyed Slicer.

Ok, we knew his weakness, now all we needed to do was get that head off of that body. I took a deep breath to steady myself. We could do this. We just needed to work together. Two against one; this shouldn't be as hard as it was. We had him out numbered. Slicer was good. But, we could be better.

Suddenly, Slicer attacked us both, and we were fighting for our lives again. I was still reeling from the blow to the gut, and Ed's wound to his shoulder was slowing us down even farther. Our moves were getting sloppier, and the serial killer commented as much. Kicking me to the side, I thought I heard a crack in my ribs before the pain set in.

I cursed as I flopped down and could only watch as Ed tried to summon a rod as well, but Slicer caught up to him and destroyed it. Ed didn't have time to transmute anything. "You've done well to last this long," Slicer announced to us. "But your limits have been reached." He advanced on Ed, thinking he was going to finish us off. Too bad he forgot one crucial detail.

"You forget there is two of us," Ed shouted. I appeared behind Slicer, prepared to slice off his head.

Slicer turned and slashed at me. I was able to use my alchemy to freeze his arm in place, however for only a few seconds. But, Ed took advantage of the time and decapitated him with the razor sharp edge of his automail arm that he had transmuted into a sharp weapon. The body fell limp on the ground beside me as the head rolled to my side. The cut was crisp and clean just below the blood seal.

Ed wasn't able to kill him; he didn't have the heart. But, then neither did I. He was just like Al. Killing him felt like I'd be betraying Al in some way. Slicer was at our mercy now. Besides, he was more useful alive than dead. "Why are you hesitating?" he asked when neither of us killed him.

"There is something you need to tell me about," Ed told him, lifting up the helmet by the ribbon that protruded from the crown.

"The philosophe's stone?" When Ed gasped, he continued, "If you came here, there is little else you could be searching for." He knew all along what we wanted; he was just toying with us now.

"Tell me all you know about the stone and its connection to this lab," I ordered him.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Slicer seemed to have something up his sleeve, but he was only a helmet; what damage could he do or trap could he possibly lead us into?

"Beaten up dogs don't get to call the shots. You tell me now or I'm breaking your seal." Ed shook the helmet around as he chuckled to himself. I smiled, liking the analogy he used. He always had been such a creative kid. I kind of missed the days when everything seemed so simple; when we had little else to worry about then what I was going to make for supper.

Slicer laughed pulling me out of my reverie. "The battle isn't over yet!"

I frowned. What did he mean by that. Suddenly, I felt a white hot pain in my shoulder. "But how?" I asked weakly as I scrambled to get away from the body, holding my shoulder, only to feel the blood drip down my clothes. Slicer's body stood directly behind me, holding the bloodied sword. It reminded me of the headless horsemen. It knew exactly what it was doing, even with the head gone.

"Haven't you heard of sharing. One set of armor doesn't mean just one soul," the body spoke out, startling me for the second time.

I rushed to Ed's side. He dropped the helmet to rush to my side. "Another blood seal. This one on the body," Ed nodded, understanding now why Slicer was so hard to fight, even with the two of us attacking together. The two were brothers, they were a pair of mass murdering brothers. Skilled, as well.

"How dare you injure my older brother! I'll slice off your knees and make you even shorter to the ground," he pointed his sword at Ed. Ed frowned at the short joke. "As for you, if you don't die of blood loss first, it won't be hard to take you out." He shifted his attention to me. He was right; I was losing way too much blood. But, I wouldn't be of much help to escape if we didn't hurry. I was losing energy and strength fast.

He charged at us. Ed stepped in front of me protectively and began fending off the sword. Ed was getting light headed, I could see how sloppy and slow his moves were getting. He was losing too much blood from his shoulder, and the sword nicked his side. Blood was tainting his jacket as the stain kept getting bigger and bigger.

Using the butt of the sword, he hit Ed in the gut, pushing him against a column. I stepped in front of Ed and fended off the sword with my own automail arm. He grabbed my arm and kicked my in the stomach, throwing me to the side. The rib which had been cracked, probably broke. I fell to the ground, gasping for breath. I just hoped to God that the rib wouldn't collapse my lungs.

Turning his attention back on Ed, he charged. "This is for my brother!"

Ed clapped his hands together, though he didn't have time to transmute anything. The sword hit the column as Ed ducked. Placing his hands on the chest of the armor, Ed said, "To beat a serial killer, I guess I'll have to act like one." Using alchemy, he was able to dislodge the top half of the armor from the legs. A partial transmutation, breaking something apart.

Rushing to my side, Ed looked over my wounds. I pushed him away, assuring him that I was ok. He gave me a look that said he didn't believe me, but he didn't push me. Sitting on the ground beside me to catch his breath, Ed poked the legs of the body with his foot, "There wouldn't happen to be a third brother would there?"

"No," they answered in unison.

"Tell me everything you know about the stone," Ed demanded as he held his wound on his side. It was painful to even breath for him, I was sure. We were quite a pair. Both bloodied and beaten up.

"No, I cannot say. Now, you must destroy us," the older of the two brothers answered defiantly.

"I'm not killing anyone. That's not what I do," Ed shook his head defiantly. Out of the two of us, Ed was the least likely to kill anyone, no matter how much they may deserve it.

Slicer went on, talking about how they weren't really humans, not in the armor they were in. This really hit home with Ed. If he accepted that they weren't human, then he would have to admit the same about Al. Ed couldn't stomach the thought that Al wasn't human. I understood his pain, though not as wholly as Ed must have felt. I was close to both of these young men, but poor Ed. Al was all he had left. The only true family he had.

Slicer kept going on and on about how Ed referred to them as human when they felt they weren't. The older brother liked to laugh a lot, which was really beginning to creep me out. Just what was so funny? That Ed believed that they were alive, that they were human? I wasn't about to stand for that. Ed had a good heart, and I wasn't about to let a killer laugh at our mercy.

Just as I was about to say something, the ground shook. "That sounded just like an earthquake. What was it?" asked Ed. I shrugged as I stared at the walls and ceiling. I just hoped they wouldn't cave in on us.

"It might have been one of the many bombs set throughout this building to destroy the evidence. With that after shock, there is a chance that even more will go off." He paused for a moment before continuing again. "I promised I would help you. I cannot tell you very much about it, but I can lead you to where they keep it."

Ed helped me to my feet, grabbing the helmet and supporting me at the same time. We turned and watched as the younger brother attempted to kill himself. I looked away, unable to watch. Ed tried to stop him, but it didn't matter. In the end, the younger brother got what he wanted. I closed my eyes. So much horror surrounded the stone. Why? Why was it cursed so? Why did everything good seem to come with a high price?

Ed, a little more than upset, the helmet, and I made our way out the door on the other end of the room. "We're passed all the weird traps, right?" I asked nervously as we made our way down a long corridor a little slower than I would have liked, but that was my fault. I was still a little weary about Slicer. How would we know he wasn't leading us into some kind of trap?

"No intruder has ever been able to get this far," the Slicer informed us. Well, that made sense.

"You mean you and your brother killed all who tried, right?" I said. Slicer stayed quiet, which I took as a yes. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my beating heart. I was worried. The longer we were down here, the worse off I was getting.

"So who was it that attached your soul to this suit of armor anyway," Ed asked the question that had been lingering in my mind for awhile now.

Slicer wasn't able to reply as growls could be heard from down the long and narrow corridor. Their yellows eyes loomed in the darkness.

"I thought you said we were passed all the weird traps," I hissed at him as I stood my ground, waiting for whatever it was to attack us.

"This isn't a trap," the Slicer informed us as Chimera's stepped into the light and lunged at us.

Ed and I managed to injure a few of them before a whistle broke through the growls and grunts. The Chimera stopped abruptly. I frowned. "What happened?" Loud, stomping noises followed the whistle, and they were getting closer. Whatever it was had to be huge.

"The Chimera have their master. The one who created them," Slicer, our only source of information, informed us.

"You mean someone actually lives down here?" Ed asked as he tensed, waiting for an attack, bracing for the worst as the stomping got closer to us with each passing moment.

"Someone? I think it could be better described as something," Slicer answered with disgust.

Suddenly, the stomping stopped as a giant, chimera stepped in front of us. It was hideous and huge. It nearly touched the ceiling of the crowded corridor. "You mean this Chimera created all of these?" I wondered a loud.

"No," it whispered. "Not all of them." It moved its head forward to show a human face, which even wore glasses. I wanted to vomit. A human chimera. Who had done such a thing to him? Ed gasped once he saw the face, as if he knew him. "It's been a long time Edward." The creature whispered. It's voice must be permanently soft like that.

"Tucker," Ed whispered before he threw down the helmet and rushed to Tucker's side, and I thought he was going to punch him.

I frowned. "The sowing life alchemist?" I remembered his file from when I had done a thorough reading of all the alchemists. I had read his book about the first talking chimera. He was supposed to have been executed. "You were supposed to have been killed!" I stated in surprise.

"According to the record books, my brother and I were supposed to have been executed two years ago, and we are still alive. Why should it surprise you that there were others kept alive as chimeras," Slicer asked. He was right, but I was still surprised nonetheless. I felt as though I was getting in too deep, finding out information that I wasn't supposed to. It was so much to take in.

"That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about Nina!" Ed yelled. Whatever had set him off, he was a little more than upset. "Your daughter is dead because of what you did! How could they allow you to live?"

"I live for Nina," Tucker answered. "I understand how you must feel right now, but please, let me explain." Tucker led us down the hall, pushing passed Edward's outreached hands. I placed a hand on Ed's shoulder and motioned for him to follow Tucker. Maybe he could give us some valuable information as well.

"So the military staged your execution," I summed up as Tucker led us into his private lab down the corridor. "And then sent you here to create chimeras." I was purely guessing. The military must have felt they needed Tucker's abilities to create these poor creatures, for whatever reason.

"Not just Chimeras. I have other projects in the works, though none can be made public. You both should understand that." He was being professional about why he was here, which I had to admire. Others in his situation wouldn't be nearly as dedicated.

Ed clenched his hands into fists at his side. "You changed into a Chimera, but you aren't like those other things. You kept all of your human intelligence. You're stable, something you couldn't do before. What alchemist has that kind of skill? Dr. Marcoh, Gran, or is it someone else?" Tucker stayed quiet. "Answer me! Who in the heck is running this place?" Ed was becoming more and more frustrated. He was getting no where and more and more questions kept popping up. None of which were receiving any answers.

Something caught Ed's eye and he rushed towards the curtain at the back of the room, pulling the curtain aside against Tucker's wishes. Bodies of a little girl were floating in these glass cylinders. I gasped, covering my mouth. No. What a sick man. Who would do such a thing? "Nina." She was Tucker's little girl. He was trying to bring her back. He had to know it just wasn't possible without the philosopher's stone. Unless…

"She can't yet keep her form when she is exposed to the air," Tucker informed him. I hobbled to Ed's side and placed my hand on his shoulder. I wished there was more I could do for him.

"You still can't find a way to perform a human transmutation and bring her back, so you've creating a chimera that looks like her, is that it?" Ed asked as he pieced everything together.

"I tried and failed many times and ended up in this form, but I'm almost there. Almost." Tucker started walking to the double doors. I followed him with my eyes. I hated looking at the girl, it was unnatural, and I was against such practices. It wasn't right to subject any poor animal to such cruelty.

"You mean it's possible?" Ed asked, unable to take his eyes of the ghastly forms of the person he had previously known. However, this wasn't the same little girl, no matter how much she might resemble her. Ed understood that, but he just had a hard time excepting that.

Tucker opened the door, which emitted a red glow into the room. I saw a bunch of transmutation circles, ones that were too complex for normal transmutation. I didn't even recognize some of them. Ignoring the pain that shot through my whole body, I ran into the room, Ed at my heels. I looked around frantically. Red water was in these cylinders placed strategically around the room. Something big was about to go down in this very room. Ed and I could only stare.

"That's the same things Marcoh had," Ed commented about the red water. I nodded in agreement as I turned the handle on one of them and a small portion of the red water fell out, hardening into a stone.

"Yes, an incomplete philosopher's stone. Though it is still extremely powerful. You've seen it used before. If it could be refined, it could make a real stone. This is what you have been looking for," Tucker whispered to us. "Many have tried, but no one has ever succeeded. It's an impossible task for any ordinary alchemist."

I nodded. This was what I had been spending the better part of my life searching for, and I had finally found it. I wasn't about to give up now just because no one else had ever succeeded. "Ya, you're right," I agreed. "But you see, I'm no ordinary alchemist." Even if Ed didn't have the audacity to pull this off, it didn't matter. I was going to make sure this happened. No matter what.

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	10. Created Human

So, I don't have internet at my house, which is why it took me so long to get this chapter up. I have to now go to the library to do it! But anyway, I hope you all aren't getting TOO impatient with me!

This chapter is extra long, so I hope you like it! I tried to keep it close to the episode as much as possible. Things will be getting pretty intense from here on out, I think. I only have the next two chapters written out at the moment, and it'll get good (I hope you think so too!) But, I have finals this week so I can't work on it. Yeah for summer!

Anyway, like always, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!

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**Chapter 10 Created Human**

***Mustang's POV***

"What are you doing calling me this late?" Maes asked from the other end of the phone. I could tell he was groggy, and I knew he needed the sleep, but this was important; I needed him.

"There's something that's been bothering me for awhile," I started, unsure of myself. But Hughes was my best friend. I could tell him anything.

"What? That we haven't caught Scar or is it about Dr. Marcoh being taken into the Fuhrer's custody?" he interrupted me before I could complete what I had been trying to say.

"Ya ok, well, there is that too, but it's about Lara," I confessed.

"What about her?" he asked, suddenly curious. I wished I could grab his collar through the phone and shake him around a little bit. I knew what he was thinking, and I didn't like it at all. He had been badgering me lately about her, and I didn't want anymore of that nonsense. Lara and I were friends, nothing more. Besides, I didn't like getting involved with women at work. If something didn't work out, there would be way too much tension between us.

"Well, tell me what you know about laboratory 5," I ordered him.

"Lab 5?" Hughes sounded surprised. "That place has been shut down for awhile. What's going on?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I think that's where Lara is."

"Why do you think that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Because I happened to see it circled on a map on top of her desk," I answered uncomfortably. I felt as if I was a little kid caught in the act. I had nothing to be ashamed of; the red marker had caught my eye. Besides, I could be dead wrong here. I just needed a confirmation.

"Well, maybe she went on a date or something. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Speaking of which, why are you worried. For being only friends, you sure are passing over the boundary line that would be don't go through her stuff."

"I know, but I couldn't help myself." I didn't have the energy to explain to him how innocent my finding the map was. "Look, if you hear anything, keep me posted, alright?" I said, wanting to end this conversation before he was able to go on about getting me a wife. Placing the phone in its cradlem I sighed.

Laboratory 5 was closed as far as we know. Why would Lara go there? For what purpose; what was her interest in it? A part of me wanted to go and show up to see what she was doing, but I didn't want to push her away by being brash. It was her life, she could do what she wanted. Grabbing my coat, I decided I was going to head home.

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***Lara's POV***

"I think I get it now," I said, breaking the silence as Ed could only stare in wonder at everything. "What this facility was being used for. It was an operation to develop large scale military applications for alchemy, or more specifically how they could harness human alchemy to the military's advantage."

Ed nodded in agreement. "That explains what they were doing with these incomplete philosopher's stones." We exchanged glances, unsure of what our next move should be.

"If you wanted to, you could use them to forge a complete philosopher's stone," Shou Tucker whispered to us.

"Does that mean you know how these fragments were made?" I asked, curious. There was so much I wanted to know, and so few answers being given. I'd take any little piece of information I could get my ears on.

"Not quite. By the time I came, this room was already here. Created and abandoned, most likely by the man that had run this place before. A doctor Tim Marcoh. I can only guess his methods."

Ed was furious. "They're made of-"

"Does it honestly matter what they are made of any more? Even if they were in fact created using live human beings, are you capable of restoring them back to life? Using what's left of them to create a complete stone is the only way to give their sacrifices meaning." Tucker felt no remorse whatsoever over the death of 'innocent' people.

Meaning? No. That wasn't right. They didn't die to become a part of some stone. That wouldn't be honoring their deaths. They were killers that needed to stay dead, not be sacrificed for a stone or transmuted into armors and being bonded together to make chimeras. They deserved to be buried properly.

"I couldn't agree more." Slicer cut in.

"You're agreeing?" Ed asked, shaking his head. Ed was so adamant about not using the stone if human beings had been used to get it. I agreed with him and would stand by him no matter what, on this particular subject anyway.

"More like sympathizing. There lives carry no meaning in this disembodied state." Slicer explained. He was also referring to himself. He meant he himself held no meaning so long as his soul was attached to the armor.

"No value? I don't buy that." Ed stood up and after staring at his reflection in the cylinders, he crawled on top of one. "But, Al. Your life has value. Even in this state, doesn't it remain?"

"Yes, Ed. His life has value. You both have each other, and that alone should be enough," I assured him. "Your love for each other, your bond is all that matters. You two are valuable to the human race. You both belong here as much as the rest of us."

I frowned. Wait, what was I saying? I wanted this stone too, as much as they did. But, after all I had seen, it didn't seem worth it anymore. After all this death and human transmutation, I don't want to bring back anyone. The chances of it actually working is slim to none. What I wanted now, was to help these boys. They were now my priority.

Somehow, Ed started to believe what they were saying. After Ed made an array, he and Tucker left for a moment. Ed wanted to see for himself the storage tank that was supposed to be directly above the ray he had made. I stayed behind in the red water room. The blood loss was getting dangerously low. I needed to get out of here.

Before I knew it, Ed and Tucker were back. Standing in the center of the room, Tucker asked, "You are going to transmute both rooms at once?"

"That's the plan. Even combined there isn't enough pieces of the stone in this room alone. In Dr. Marcoh's research journal, he suggested using two transmutation circles. I'm hoping to take all the leftover materials from above and collide them with the fragments in here through the two circles smashing them into one. But, I'm going to need a serious explosive charge to make all that happen. I better beef up the array." Placing his hands along the circle, the lines shifted.

"An array with a heptagon circle circumscribed in it," I said in awe. "I've never seen something like that before." I grabbed the cylinders full of the red water and repositioned them at the points of the heptagon.

Suddenly, an explosion cut through the air; it was loud, almost as if it was right above us. I no more than thought that then the ceiling collapsed and a bunch of prisoners fell through. Debris falling on top of me, though I was unable to get up on my own. Ed had to crawl his way over to me and unpin my legs.

Coughing from the dust, I looked around. Ed gasped and started yelling at Tucker. I sighed, knowing full well why they were here and that Tucker knew all about them. He wanted Ed to have performed the transmutation, killing those prisoners. I stood up defiantly. "Who brought you all here?" I demanded.

"I did!" a voice from behind me answered. Turning, I was face to face with Bas Gran. I frowned. I thought he had been killed by Scar when we had been at Marcoh's. I rushed forward, swinging my fist at his head. He backed up and changed his appearance into something smaller, more puny. He had long black hair and wore black, tight fitting clothes.

"Who are you?" I asked as I backed up. I had no idea what he was capable of. "What's your name?"

He shrugged. "I can be whomever you want. So, who would you like?" He turned to Ed. "A taller version of you?"

Ed, angrier than ever, rushed forward, trying to deck him in the face. I noticed his shoulder give out. Uh-oh. This didn't look good. If Ed's arm was useless and I was in this bad of shape, we were in real trouble. The shape shifter attacked Ed and kicked him to the ground.

"The only reason I haven't killed you is because we were told not to! But I can never forgive you, and I there'll never be a time that I'm able to forgive you. For caring that bastard's blood in your veins!" He was about to kick Ed again.

"No!" I was about to rush forward, to come to Ed's aid, but a woman came through the hole in the wall stopping the shifter was attacking Ed.

"Envy, don't take it out on him because you were unable to screen the ingredients thoroughly enough," she said. "If you don't want to suffer any more physical punishment, then I suggest you get on with the transmutation. We had a minor, unexpected set back, but the ingredients are still fresh."

I frowned. "You want us to use these convicts to create a philosopher's stone? Do you really think we would these people?"

"I'm afraid you have no choice," the woman sneered.

Suddenly, a fat man came in behind them, throwing something to the side. It clanked when it hit the ground. Al. It was Al. Ed started freaking out. "Al!"

"Brother, these people, they're homunculi!" Al informed us.

"They are indeed homunculi, perfectly created artificial humans. They promised to share with me the secrets to generating a homunculus so that I can create my Nina." He went on and on about her spirit living in all his memories. He was going to implant his memories of her into the artificial body so that she seemed as real as the child he missed.

I shook my head. This was horrible. How could so many people have been corrupted so much? No one deserved this. Not even Tucker, not after what he did. He deserved to be dead, like the papers claimed he was. Did Mustang know what was happening here? No. I couldn't believe that. Mustang wouldn't allow this to happen, not if he knew. I had to believe that.

Envy knelt down to our level, as both Ed and I were sitting on the ground. "I suggest you two get to work performing the transmutation. Start by fixing the ceiling."

I looked away. "And what's the point of us being here? Why can't you yourselves do the alchemy? Why go through all this trouble just for us? Unless, you can't use alchemy!" That explained then why they hadn't killed us yet.

"I'm embarrassed to admit that you are right. Our group is unable to perform alchemy on our own. We need others to do it for us." the woman answered. Even though they looked like humans, they still weren't the real deal; they came up a little short.

"Then what's the point of the stone? You can't use it," Something still wasn't clicking for me. Something more to it.

"I want to become a human," the woman looked down. "Nothing more." She seemed to be lost in her own little world for a fraction of a second, probably dreaming of what it would be like. They were so close to their goal.

I stopped short. Human? They wanted to be human? They didn't have a God complex? They didn't want to be the most powerful people in the world? They wanted to be the weakest?

"We dropped some bread crumbs to some eager alchemists who wanted to create the stones, and then advise some eager alchemists on how to go about constructing the stones for themselves." the pretty young woman told us matter-of-factly.

"You mean you were the one who told all of this to Marcoh and the secret ingredient?" I asked. Finally, everything was falling into place. More and more things were starting to make sense.

"We laid the fake bait and everyone came flocking," Envy sneered, looking down on us. I wanted to lash out and kill him, but in my current state, everyone knew that wasn't going to be happening.

"And that's the way we found you boys. You found us," the woman smiled at us, as though happy with how their plans have been played out.

"You mean us coming here was all part of your plan?" Ed looked to be a loss for words. "We aren't just some puppets for you to control!" Ed was getting too riled up. We both needed to settle down and think things over. We needed to plan a way to get Al back and get out of here.

"It's an equivalent exchange. I tell you all you need to know about creating this philosopher's stone and you turn us human," the young woman told us as if it was no big deal to kill all of these convicts. It wasn't that simple. As much as I wanted the stone, I was not going to kill these people, and Ed wouldn't either.

"And why should we trust you?" I asked heatedly. I didn't like this, not one bit. I couldn't think of any way out of here. Running was out of the question, as was alchemy. I didn't see any way around this.

"But, we aren't asking," the woman paused, "we are telling." She held up Slicer's helmet and opened it so we could see the blood seal. "You have any idea what will happen to an attached soul when you do this?" She took her finger and began running her finger along the markings before slicing the helmet in half, killing him. She seemed pleased with herself upon having done so.

Getting up, she walked around behind Al and took off his helmet. She was going to do the same thing to him unless we cooperated. "This won't take long," she said, placing her finger on the seal, waiting for us to say something.

Tears of fear starting forming in Ed's eyes. "No! Please don't hurt him! He's my little brother! Please don't take him away, I'm begging you!" Ed was begging for his brother's life.

"It's ok," Al assured us. How was he ok with just dying?

"Don't give up on us now, Al!" I cried, using alchemy to fix the ceiling. I was at a loss. What should we do? I couldn't bear the thought of losing Al, but I also didn't think I could bring myself to killing these convicts.

Ed was up and moving the pillars of red water in place. It seemed we had no other option. We would have to complete this to save Al. I couldn't move from my spot on the floor, so I could only watch, and listen as Al begged Ed to stop. When he had finished, he helped me move to the front of the circle so we could finish our job.

The convicts were murmuring amongst themselves, and Al was going off, trying to get us to stop telling us he didn't want to be brought back if we had to sacrifice these people. I was torn. Al, I couldn't let you die, and Ed wouldn't let you die. But, this was what Al wanted, right? His life was hanging in the balance. I made the mistake of looking into the convicts eyes. They were scared and afraid. I couldn't kill them.

Ed clapped his hands, prepared to start the transmutation. "Ed, no!" I cried. "We can't do it. We can't kill these people." I shook my head, tears forming in my eyes. Ed stopped and just stared.

"Sorry, Al. I can't do it," he said.

Suddenly, the room started shaking and the walls, which I hadn't noticed also contained red water, burst. The pillars started cracking before the red water poured out onto the ground, splashing all around us, soaking my skin. Ed started dragging me to a dry section of the floor.

"Fullmetal Alchemist," came a voice. I turned. Scar? Anger and fury welled up within me. "Take your brother and get out of here!"

"We don't need your help!" Ed yelled up at him. I couldn't say anything as I was too angry and upset. All I wanted to do was jump up there and put him in his place for killing Damien and Jane. He didn't deserve to be walking this earth.

"Maybe not, but your younger brother needs you," Scar replied. What? Since when did he care? What was it to him? Don't tell me he had grown a heart in such a short time. I refused to believe he was up to anything good. Why would he save us when he had tried so hard to kill us?

"Let's go," Ed cried as he picked me up and started helping me towards the exit.

"Oh no, you aren't leaving until you finish what you have started," the young woman yelled at us.

Suddenly, my body started to react with the red water. I don't remember much, just that I started going crazy and attacking the homunculi without a second's thought. I could feel all of my power increasing and swirling all around me. I was numb, unable to feel anything. I had no idea where anyone was, nor did I care at the moment.

The last thing I remember before blacking out is someone holding me, and I felt a sense of love and that seemed to calm me down. I was a peace, suddenly forgetting what had caused me to become that way. All that mattered was that I was in someone's arms and that they loved me, and I loved them.

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	11. Wounded Hearts

I apologize for the amount of waiting you all are enduring! No wonder there aren't many reviews. I do this to myself. But, I'm in college, so I'm super busy. I guess I shouldn't make excuses though.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think! I hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 11 Wounded Hearts**

***Mustang's POV***

I sat stock straight in the waiting room chair with Hughes, though he was at the receptionist's desk trying to get some information out of her, my hands limp in my lap, my legs crossed. I was perfectly still, unable to let anyone know how worried I actually was. I was scared on the inside. Scared for Lara's safety, scared of what she had learned while in the laboratory.

I honestly hadn't meant to join Hughes in his recovery mission to get the boys and Lara, but at the last moment, Maes had showed up at my place and insisted I come along. I didn't argue. I hopped into the car, and together, we stormed the compound. I had prayed the ride over that they wouldn't even be there, that this would just be a false alarm, but no. Prayers never seemed to be answered. Especially not mine. But, could I truly blame anyone? I had so much sin, so much blood on my hands. I didn't think I would ever be able to look at Lara the same again after finding out I was the one who had killed her parents.

"The nurses said that Ed and Al are doing fine. More psychological damage than anything, I think," Hughes broke through my thoughts as he took a seat beside me. "The boys are back in their rooms at a hotel with Maria Ross, Armstrong, and other soldiers keeping watch."

I nodded, not saying anything. What was there to say? I stared at the clock. We had been here for a few hours. Why was Lara so much worse off than the boys? What had happened down there? She had a lot of explaining to do once she woke up.

"I'll have to interrogate her," Maes told me.

I nodded again. It couldn't be helped.

"Look, Roy. She'll be fine. The doctor said she's just resting. She got a couple broken ribs, a few gashes, and a lot of blood loss. She's fine," Maes was trying to be a caring friend at the moment, and I liked it compared to his usually hyper self. Maes got up again to go ask more questions.

I got up and stood against the wall. I kept replaying everything I had seen when I had entered that compound. Lara had been far beyond powerful. Her alchemic power had been intensified so much that she could have been seriously hurt from all the raw power that was flowing throughout her body. I wasn't able to grab her otherwise, my own alchemic power would have reacted with the red water.

Hughes grabbed her, handing her off to me. I hadn't meant to hug her. But, she had clung to me so hard, I felt as though I didn't have a choice. She needed me in that one moment. I carried her out of the compound and we drove her and the Elric boys to the hospital.

My train of thought was interrupted when the doctor came around the corner. He walked into Lara's room, shutting the door behind him. He was probably just going to check her vitals. My gaze was transfixed on that door as I waited for the doctor to come back out and grant me passage through the door. I didn't have to wait much longer. Just as Hughes had joined me, the doctor came back out and headed over to us.

I waited for him to speak first. He gave a small nod before saying, "She's awake, so you can go see her. I suggest one visitor at a time. She's pretty out of it with all the drugs in her system at the moment, so we don't want to get her worked up for any reason."

Hughes turned to me, "I'll go see what the Elric's know on their end. We can meet up in a few hours."

I nodded in agreement as I opened Lara's door and stepped inside, closing the door behind me. I made my way to the side of the bed. She turned her head to face me. Her face was pale, but otherwise unscathed. I knew the damage was done below her neck, and I wanted to reach out and see what kind of horror she had endured.

She forced a smile, her eyes were heavy and droopy. "Hey," she croaked. Her voice was soft from lack of use. She looked so groggy; so out of it.

I forced a smile as I stared down at her. She wanted to shift, to sit up, but I insisted she didn't. "How good are the drugs helping?" I asked. I thought asking how she felt would be a dumb question. If she was doing good, she wouldn't be here.

She chuckled. "Pretty well. I hardly feel anything." She paused for a moment, licking her dry, chapped lips. "I'm not going to lose my job because of this, am I?"

I started, "For searching for the truth? No. But, I'm not going to lie. I'm a little hurt you didn't tell me about this."

She closed her eyes for a moment. "I tried to, but we were interrupted, remember?"

I stopped short. Of course I remembered that moment in my office. It was hard to imagine that yesterday, we had been sitting in my office talking, and today she was in the hospital, barely able to keep up with what was going on. Time was funny that way. "There were other opportunities," I finally said, though I didn't really want to start a fight.

She took a breath, "I know I am at fault here. If I had told you the truth, maybe Ed and Al wouldn't be in as bad a condition as they are in. This is all my fault, so please go easy on them," she pleaded with me, closing her eyes and breathing heavily. She was getting worked up, which was my fault.

"We can discuss the matter when you are back at work," I told her, sitting in the chair beside her bed. "It's not your fault. Those boys chose to go to that laboratory, just like you did. It's no one's fault." I sighed and wondered how she viewed my caring personality at the moment, as it was definitely different than anything she had dealt with before.

"You hugged me," she said suddenly. My head snapped up, a slight blush forming in my cheeks. "I felt you loved me."

I was taken aback. How could she tell that? What the heck? Was it the drugs talking, or was it really Lara? "I was just there for you when you needed me, that's all," I tried to explain.

She shook her head, "There was more to it; I could feel your love, and I returned it."

I glanced away, wishing that someone would walk through the door and interrupt us. "Look, Lara, I-" When I turned to her, her eyes were closed, and her chest was moving up and down in a slow rhythm indicating that she was asleep. I sighed. It wasn't that I didn't like her; it was just that I wasn't sure on where I stood, and how closely I wanted to get involved with her.

Sighing, I escaped from the room, knowing she needed her rest. I made a few phone calls and placed two soldiers in front of the door to only allow hospital staff and him or Hughes into the room, unless otherwise noted by me. I had a feeling that there were people after Lara, and I wasn't going to let them get her.

~.~3rd Person POV~,~

Glancing around the corner of the hospital hallway, the man saw the two soldiers and Mustang hovering around the door that was his objective. There was no way he was getting into the room looking the way he did now, with his current face. But, that could easily be fixed.

With a smile, he stepped around the corner, wearing a pretty nurse's appearance. Clipboard in hand, she gave a dazzling smile to the two young men guarding the room and slipped inside, shutting the door behind her. It was convenient that the shades were already drawn so she didn't have to look suspicious doing so.

Heels clacking on the tile as she made her way to the side of the bed, she glanced at the IV that was pumping fluids into the girl's body. Right as Envy was about to do something to wake her up, Lara opened her eyes, looking the nurse in the eyes.

"Relax Miss Bradford, but I just want to talk with you," Envy told her. Lara looked up at her expectantly, waiting for Envy to continue. Instead of continuing, Envy grabbed the oxygen pump and pinched the cords together so Lara had a harder time breathing. "I can make this easy or hard." Leaning in real close, Envy whispered, "You better keep your nose out of places where it doesn't belong. Otherwise, things might have to take a sudden dip for the worse."

Lara gasped, but this just caused her to cough as there was little oxygen beign pumped into her system. Leaning in closely to Lara, Envy smirked. "It's too bad I can't kill you. You are still useful to us. But, I might not be the one to kill you. Your condition might do it for me, which would be all too welcome."

Eyes going wide, Lara swallowed, breathing heavily. "I'll kill you with my bare hands," Lara vowed softly.

Envy laughed. "You little brat, I hope you just try it. Just because I can't kill you, doesn't mean I can't hurt you. Take that Colonel you seem to be so fond of. And him for you." Envy sneered when Lara caught her breath. "Do you really think he cares for you like you do for him? From the look on your face, you seem to be expecting something of him. You will always come in behind work and his coworkers. You will never take a front seat to the military. Not to Mustang. You are just an insect on the windshield."

Lara closed her eyes, refusing to let Envy get to her. She couldn't allow this person to get under her skin. "That may be, but I don't like him in the way you are describing."

"Now who is kidding themselves?" Envy asked with a grin. "You know as well as I do that you practically love this guy. You are barely a speck in the big picture that is his life. You can't tell me that doesn't sting a little bit."

Lara looked away, not allowing herself to look him in the eyes. Sure, he may be right, but Lara was not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. She didn't really love Mustang. She just really really really liked him!

"You are just a naive little girl who keeps on wishing and hoping for a happily ever after. After you killed your two fellow comrades, do you think that God will allow you even a tiny bit of happiness? Do you really think you deserve it after all the pain and suffering you caused the families?"

Lara looked away. Why did she have to let Envy get to her? She had thought what Envy had said many times; it had kept her awake at night- making her have insomnia. But, she had thought she had moved on, finding comfort in Roy, thinking that he was her second chance. However, Envy was making her have second thoughts. There was no way she deserved true happiness. She killed off two lives prematurely. Mustang was better off without her.

***Mustang's POV***

It had been nearly twenty minutes since Lara's nurse had disappeared inside her room- longer than anyone else had been in there, but I bet that they were just chatting, as Lara didn't seem to have any girlfriends to talk to. I glanced at the clock and saw it was getting late. I was glad I had gotten a hold of Second-lieutenant Hawkeye to make sure everything was still running smoothly down at the office, and I had been assured it was, and I didn't dare doubt her.

Hawkeye was a good subordinate and, above all, a good friend. She had called me first to make sure I was doing ok, which was a pitiful way of asking if I was coping. But, I had responded with a curt yes and sent her on her duty. She had told me there would be a stack of papers awaiting me when I got back, which I was not looking forward to signing and going through.

A pretty little receptionist made her way to my side and informed me that visiting hours were over. I nodded and told her I'd be back tomorrow at some point. She smiled secretly, shoving a piece of paper into the palm of my hand. I smiled devilishly towards her as I made my way to the elevator. Only once I was safely inside the confines of the elevator and going down to the lobby did I open the paper to read the set of numbers staring up at me.

Shaking my head, I chuckled to myself as the doors opened. I swiftly threw the paper into the trashcan without even thinking about it. I hesitated for a moment. I had never given up on a woman like that before. What did that mean? Was I maturing a bit? That had to be it.

I waved at the desk as I headed for the doors when I noticed that Lara's nurse was at the desk talking to the lady. She had beaten me down here? She must have slipped out of the room while the receptionist had talked to me. I decided to go see if there was any news.

"So, what can you tell me about Lara's condition?" I asked her, grinning down at her.

She blushed ever so slightly. "Nothing more than I have already told you."

I frowned, "But, you were just in there. There has been no new developments?" I leaned on the counter. This made no sense to me. She had been in the room for a long time, surely something new had come along.

It was the young nurse's turn to frown. "I haven't been in Ms. Bradford's room for hours. I am not due to check on her for another hour. I have been down here helping Judai with the patients."

I started backing up. "But, I saw you." I shook my head; nothing was adding up.

"You must have mistaken the nurse for me. An honest mistake." The nurse looked confused, thinking that I was overreacting.

Something was wrong, I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. Running for the elevators, I pressed the button furiously, but it wasn't quick enough for me, so I headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. I jogged down the hallway, pushing the soldier to the side so I could go by.

Whipping the door open, I stepped through and found the nurse leaning over Lara's bed pinching her IV and holding a knife to her throat. "Lara!" I cried as I moved forward, ready to do whatever it takes to save her. But, the fake nurse backed away from her and jumped out the window. I ran and looked out the window.

But, the nurse was gone. Many civilians milled about below. Whomever it had been could obviously change appearances, so I would never be able to pick then out in a crowd such as that one. I had to let it go, for now.

Lara! I turned and looked her over. "Lara, are you ok?" She didn't seem to be injured any more so than she already was. Her breathing was a little labored, however. But, other than that, she seemed to be fine. I took a few steps forward and stood over her.

Lara shook her head slightly, her hair spilling out onto her shoulders. "I'm fine. She didn't do anything to me." I noticed that she refused to look at me. I could press her about that later; for now, I was just thankful that she was ok.

"I'm not leaving this room. With that psycho shift changer out there, we can't take a chance of whomever it is coming back and trying to finish the deal." I realized I hadn't even needed to think about it. "Is there anything you need? I'm going to have Hawkeye bring some things for me."

"No, I'm ok," she replied, her voice softer than what it had been minutes before. Was she going to cry?

I sat on the side of the bed. She probably needed to get through whatever it was by herself, alone. But, I wasn't about to let her suffer alone. I didn't want to push her, so I stayed silent, staring at the tiled floor.

"Roy," her voice quivered slightly. "I have a very serious question to ask you."

I glanced over at her. "Ok. Shoot." My face reflected the seriousness in which the situation was.

"Does someone like me… a murderer. Do I deserve happiness?" she started sobbing, her shoulders quaking as she tried not to totally lose it.

I was taken aback, not expecting to hear something along those lines, and I wasn't sure what to say. "Ah- what did that nurse imposter say to you? Of course you deserve happiness. Maybe even more so than most people. You didn't kill your friends from back home. It was an accident, something that you couldn't have avoided. Scar killed them, not you."

She shook her head, grabbing my jacket with her small, weak hand, pulling me into her. I was so shocked that I couldn't even retaliate. She wrapped her arms around me and cried into my shoulder; I found my arms snaking around her body letting her cry her sorrows away.

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